&  S 


Francisco. 


University  of  California  •  Berkeley 

Gift  of 
Mrs.  Edwin  GraWiorn 


THE 


HUNTERS'      FE^LST. 


HP//1/!  I 


THE 


|  HUNTERS'  FEAST;  | 

OB, 

CONVERSATIONS 

AEOUND  THE  CAMP-FIRE. 

BY  CAPT.   MAYNE  KEID, 

ATTTHOB    OF    "THE   BIFLE   BANGERS,"    "THE    SCALP   HTTNTEB8,"   MO. 

Wtttfb   35tjg)jt  ©rtfitnal  ffiwfjjn*,   SEnfitaiti  ij   N.   ©rr 


NEW  YOEK: 
DE    WITT   &   DAVENPORT,   PUBLISHERS, 


160    &   162    NASSAU    STREET. 
1856. 


~v-   / 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

I.    A   HUNTING  PARTY         .                i^  ..f  :  •  .%    .          •  •         * 

II.    THE   CAMP   AND   CAMP-FIRE          .  •''..  .^  .  _  * .     <           .  .       20 

iii.  BESAN^ON'S  ADVENTURES  IN  THE  SWAMPS  .  .  .26 

IV.    THE   PASSENGER  PIGEONS              .  .  .  .  .41 

V.    HUNT  "WITH  A  HOWITZER        ..  *  .  '  •  '   •  .  .  .48 

VI.    KILLING  A   COUGAK       C           .   > -"  «  .  .  -      67 

VH.   THE  COUGAR      .              V.            .  >      '  r.  .  .      61 

vra.  OLD  IKE'S  ADVENTURE             i  .  ^"  *  •  .65 

IX.    THE   MUSQUASH                  .       •    ^  .•  '  "> ..'•*,,  .  .  .      *76 

X.    A   RAT-HUNT      *      ;          .                .  .  .  .  .83 

XI.    MOSQUITOES   AND   THEIR   ANTIDOTE  •  .»  .  .89 

XII.    THE   'COON,   AND   HIS   HABITS      .  '•»..-"*•  •  .95 

xm.  A  'COON  CHASE            y'*;        .  '  •  «,  .  .  100 

XTV.   WILD   HOGS   OF  THE  WOODS       .  .  V  •      .          .    109 

XV.   TREED   BY   PECCARIES    .                 .  .  .  .  .113 

XVI.    A   DUCK-SHOOTING   ADVENTURE  .  .  .  .  .126 

XVTL    HUNTING   THE   VICUNA   .                 .  ».  ' '•"-«".  .  .139 

XVm.    A   CHACU   OF  VICUNAS  .                 .  '    >  .  .  .    151 

XIX.    SQUIRREL  SHOOTING       .                .  .  .  .  .162 

XX.   TREEING   A  BEAR  ......    169 

XXL    THE  BLACK   BEAR  OF   AMERICA.  .  .  173 


CONTENTS. 


THE  TKAPPEE  TRAPPED  .....    179 

XXm.    THE   AMERICAN   DEER  .  .  .  •  .187 

XXIV.    DEER-HUNT  IN   A    "  DUG-OUT"  .  .  .  .  .198 

XXV.    OLD   IKE  AND   THE   GRIZZLY     .  .  •  .  .216 

XXVL    A   BATTLE  WITH    GRIZZLY   BEARS  .  .  .  .227 

XXVIL    THE  SWANS   OF   AMERICA  *  •  •  •  238 

XXVm.    HUNTING   THE  MOOSE  "'V*       -  V  '  .  .  .    249 

THE  PRAIRIE  WOLF  AND   WOLF  KILLER  .  .'  .266 

HUNTING  THE  TAPIR  .  .  .  .  .    278 

ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO  ....   289 

THE  BISON       .  *  /  •  ,  •  •  •  •    305 

XXXIIL   TRAILING  THE  BUFFALO  .  .  .  .  .  .    315 

XXXIV.    APPROACHING  THE   BUFFALO    .  %    .*'    ™    "*     •    -' •'  ^    ggg 

XXXV.    UNEXPECTED   GUESTS   .  !:*"»    ~    ~     t  f  '      ""=:»""  .  .331 

XXX VL    A  SUPPER  OF  WOLF-MUTTON    .  .  .  .  .339 

XXXVIL    HARE  HUNTING   AND   CRICKET  DRIVING  .  .  .    844 

XXXVm.    A   GRAND   BATTUE  ......    851 

THE  ROUTE  HOME          .  .  .  .  .  .    857 


PKEFACE. 


I  HAVE  spent  some  years  in  the  "  Far  West,"  I  have  ridden 
wildly  with  the  hunter,  and  strolled  quietly  with  the  naturalist. 
I  excel  not  in  the  chase,  I  excel  not  in  a  knowledge  of  natural 
history — but  both  I  love.  In  my  memory  of  prairie  life,  these 
two  things  are  intimately  connected  with  each  other ;  for  the 
reason,  perhaps,  that  both  were  followed  at  the  same  time.  In 
the  same  excursion  I  was  hunter  and  naturalist. 

And  now,  from  the  world's  metropolis,  as  I  look  back  upon 
these  wild  scenes,  my  mind  yields  itself  up  to  sweet  remem 
brances — sweeter  than  the  retrospect  of  war — a  fresher  memory 
— sweeter  even  than  the  recollections  of  school  and  college 
days,  or  the  days  of  childhood.  I  love  to  paint  those  scenes 
with  words ;  for,  while  so  occupied,  I  feel  as  if  they  were  again 
passing  before  me. 

For  this  reason  the  "  Hunters'  Feast"  has  been  written.  On 
the  score  of  its  literary  merit  the  author  neither  claims  nor 
expects  credit.  It  is  addressed  to  men  of  tastes  similar  to  his 
own  ;  and  if  such  derive  from  it  an  hour's  gratification,  he  will 
be  quite  satisfied  with  his  task. 


THE    HMTEBS'    FEAST. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A     HUNTING     PARTY. 

ON  the  western  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  twelve  miles  below 
the  embouchure  of  the  Missouri,  stands  the  large  town  of  St. 
Louis,  poetically  known  as  the  "  Mound  City."  Although  there 
are  many  other  large  towns  throughout  the  Mississippi  Valley, 
St.  Louis  is  the  true  metropolis  of  the  "  far  west" — of  that  semi- 
civilised,  ever-changing  belt  of  territory  known  as  the  "  Fron 
tier." 

St.  Louis  'is  one  of  those  American  cities  in  the  history  of 
which  there  is  something  of  peculiar  interest.  It  is  one  of  the 
oldest  of  North- American  settlements,  having  been  a  French 
trading  port  at  an  early  period. 

Though  not  so  successful  as  their  rivals  the  English,  there  was 
a  degree  of  picturesqueness  about  French  colonisation,  that,  in 
the  present  day,  strongly  claims  the  attention  of  the  American 
poet,  novelist,  and  historian.  Their  dealings  with  the  Indian 
aborigines — the  facile  manner  in  which  they  glided  into  the 
habits  of  the  latter — meeting  them  more  than  halfway  between 
civilisation  ajid  savage  life — the  handsome  nomenclature  which 
they  have  scattered  freely,  and  which  still  holds  over  the  trans- 
territories — the  introduction  of  a  new  race  (the 


10  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

half  blood — peculiarly  French) — the  heroic  and  ad?t  irons 
character  of  their  earliest  pioneers,  De  Salle  Marquette,  Father 
Hennepin,  &c. — their  romantic  explorations  and  melancholy  fate 
— all  these  circumstances  have  rendered  extremely  interesting 
the  early  history  of  the  French  in  America.  Even  the  Quixo 
tism  of  some  of  their  attempts  at  colonisation  cannot  fail  to  inter 
est  us,  as  at  Gallipolis  on  the  Ohio,  a  colony  composed  of  expa 
triated  people  of  the  French  court  ; — perruquiers,  coachbuilders, 
tailors,  modistes,  and  the  like.  Here,  in  the  face  of  hostile  In 
dians,  before  an  acre  of  ground  was  cleared,  before  the  slightest 
provision  was  made  for  their  future  subsistence,  the  first  house 
erected  was  a  large  log  structure,  to  serve  as  the  salon  du  bal ! 

Besides  its  French  origin,  St.  Louis  possesses  many  other 
points  of  interest.  It  has  long  been  the  entrepot  and  depot  of 
commerce  with  the  wild  tribes  of  the  prairie-land.  There  the 
trader  is  supplied  with  his  stock  for  the  Indian  market — his  red 
and  green  blankets — his  beads  and  trinkets — his  rifles,  and  pow 
der,  and  lead  ;  and  there,  in  return,  he  disposes  of  the  spoils  of 
the  prairie  collected  in  many  a  far  and  perilous  wandering. 
There  the  emigrant  rests  on  his  way  to  his  wilderness  home  ;  and 
the  hunter  equips  himself  before  starting  forth  on  some  new  ex 
pedition. 

To  the  traveller,  St.  Louis  is  a  place  of  peculiar  interest.  He 
will  hear  around  him  the  language  of  every  nation  in  the  civil 
ised  world.  He  will  behold  faces  of  every  hue  and  variety 
of  expression.  He  will  meet  with  men  of  every  possible  calling. 

All  this  is  peculiarly  true  in  the  latter  part  of  the  summer 
season.  Then  the  motley  population  of  New  Orleans  fly  from 
the  annual  scourge  of  the  yellow  fever,  and  seek  safety  in  the 
cities  that  lie  farther  north.  Of  these  St  Louis  is  a  favourite 
"  city  of  refuge," — the  Creole  element  of  its  population  being  re 
lated  to  that  kindred  race  in  the  South,  and  keeping  up  with  ii 
this  annual  correspondence. 

In  one  of  these  streams  of  migration  I  had  found  my  way  to 


A    HUNTING    PARTY.  11 

St.  Louis,  in  the  autumn  of  18 — .  The  place  was  at  the  time 
filled  with  loungers,  who  seemed  to  have  nothing  else  to  do  but 
kill  time.  Every  hotel  has  its  quota,  and  in  every  verandah  and 
at  the  corners  of  the  streets  you  might  see  small  knots  of  well- 
dressed  gentlemen  trying  to  entertain  each  other,  and  laugh  away 
the  hours.  Most  of  them  were  the  annual  birds  of  passage 
from  New  Orleans,  who  had  fled  from  the  "  yellow  Jack,"  and 
were  sojourning  here  till  the  cold  frosty  winds  of  November  should 
drive  that  intruder  from  the  "  crescent  city ;"  but  there  were 
many  other  flaneurs  as  well.  There  were  travellers  from  Europe 
— men  of  wealth  and  rank  who  had  left  behind  them  the  luxu 
ries  of  civilised  society,  to  rough  it  for  a  season  in  the  wild  West 
— painters  in  search  of  the  picturesque — naturalists  whose  love 
of  their  favourite  study  had  drawn  them  from  their  comfortable 
closets  to  search  for  knowledge  under  circumstance  of  extremest 
difficulty — and  sportsmen,  who  tired  of  chasing  small  game, 
were  on  their  way  to  the  great  plains  to  take  part  in  the  noble 
sport  of  hunting  the  buffalo.  I  was  myself  one  of  the  last  named 
fraternity. 

There  is  no  country  in  the  world  so  addicted  to  the  table  (Thole 
as  America,  and  that  very  custom  soon  makes  idle  people 
acquainted  with  each  other.  I  was  not  very  long  in  the  place 
before  I  was  upon  terms  of  intimacy  with  a  large  number  of 
these  loungers,  and  I  found  several,  like  myself,  desirous  of  mak 
ing  a  hunting  expedition  to  the  prairies.  This  chimed  in  with 
my  plans  to  a  nicety,  and  I  at  once  set  about  getting  up  the 
expedition.  I  found  five  others  who  were  willing  to  join  me. 

After  several  conversaziones,  with  much  discussion,  we  suc 
ceeded  at  length  in  "fixing"  our  plan.  Each  was  to  "equip" 
according  to  his  own  fancy,  though  it  was  necessary  for  each 
to  provide  himself  with  a  riding  horse  or  mule.  After  that, 
a  general  fund  was  to  be  "  raised,"  to  be  appropriated  to  the 
purchase  of  a  waggon  and  team,  with  tents,  stores,  and  cook 
ing  utensils.  A  couple  of  professional  hunters  were  to  be 


12  THE   HUNTEP.31   FEAST. 

engaged  ;  men  who  knew  the  ground  to  be  traversed,  and  who 
were  to  act  as  guides  to  the  expedition. 

About  a  week  was  consumed,  in  making  the  necessary  pre 
parations,  and  at  the  end  of  that  time,  under  the  sunrise  of  a 
lovely  morning,  a  small  cavalcade  was  seen  to  issue  from  the 
back  suburbs  of  St.  Louis,  and,  climbing  the  undulating  slopes 
in  its  rear,  head  for  the  far-stretching  wilderness  of  the  prairies. 
It  was  our  hunting  expedition. 

The  cavalcade  consisted  of  eight  mounted  men,  and  a  waggon 
with  its  full  team  of  six  tough  mules.  These  last  were  under  the 
manege  of  "  Jake  " — a  free  negro,  with  a  shining  black  face, 
a  thick  full  mop,  and  a  set  of  the  best  "  ivories,"  which  were 
almost  always  uncovered  in  a  smile. 

Peeping  from  under  the  tilt  of  the  waggon  might  be  seen 
another  face  strongly  contrasting  with  that  of  Jake.  'This  had 
been  originally  of  a  reddish  hue,  bat  sun-tan,  and  a  thick  sprink 
ling  of  freckles,  had  changed  the  red  to  golden  yellow.  A 
shock  of  fiery  hair  surmounted  this  visage,  which  was  partially 
concealed  under  a  badly-battered  hat.  Though  the  face  of  the 
black  expressed  good-humour,  it  might  have  been  called  sad  when 
brought  into  comparison  with  that  of  the  little  red  man,  which 
peeped  out  beside  it.  Upon  the  latter,  there  was  an  expression 
irresistibly  comic — the  expression  of  an  actor  in  broad  farce. 
One  eye  was  continually  on  the  wink,  while  the  other  looked 
knowingly  enough  for  both.  A  short  clay-pipe,  stuck  jauntily 
between  the  lips,  added  to  the  comical  expression  of  the  face, 
which  was-  that  of  Mike  Lanty  from  Limerick,  No  one  ever 
mistook  the  nationality  of  Michael. 

Who  were  the  eight  cavaliers  that  accompanied  the  waggotf  ? 
Six  of  them  were  gentlemen  by  birth  and  education.  At  least 
half  that  number  were  scholars.  The  other  two  laid  no  claim 
either  to  gentleness  or  scholarship — they  were  rude  trappers — 
the  hunters  and  guides  of  the  expedition. 

A  word  about  each  one  of  the  eight,  for  there  was  not  one  of 


A.   HUNTING    PARTI.  13 

them  without  his  peculiarity.  First,  there  was  an  Englishman — 
a  genuine  type  of  his  countrymen — full  six  feet  high,  well  pro 
portioned,  with  broad  chest  and  shoulders,  and  massive  limbs. 
Hair  of  a  light  brown,  complexion  florid,  moustache  and  whis 
kers  full  and  haycoloured,  but  suiting  well  the  complexion  and 
features.  The  last  were  regular,  and  if  not  handsome,  at  least 
good  humored  and  noble  in  their  expression.  The  owner  was  in 
reality  a  nobleman — a  true  nobleman — one  of  that  class  who, 
while  travelling  the  "  States/7  have  the  good  sense  to  carry  their 
umbrella  along,  and  leave  their  title  behind  them.  To  us  he 
was  known  as  Mr.  Thompson,  and,  after  some  time,  when  we 
had  all  become  familiar  with  each  other  as  plain  "  Thompson." 
It  was  enly  long  after,  and  by  accident,  that  I  became  acquaint 
ed  with  his  rank  and  title  ;  some  of  our  companions  do  not  know 
it  to  this  day.  but  that  is  of  no  consequence.  I  mention  the  cir 
cumstance  here  to  aid  me  in  illustrating  the  character  of  our 
travelling  companion,  who  was  "  close"  and  modest  almost  to  a 
fault. 

His  costume  was  characteristic.  A  "  tweed  "  shooting  jacket, 
of  course,  with  eight  pockets — a  vest  of  the  same  material  with 
four — tweed  trowsers,  and  a  tweed  cap.  In  the  waggon  was 
the  hat-box,  of  strong  yellow  leather,  with  straps  and  padlock. 
This  was  supposed  to  contain  the  dress  hat ;  and  some  of  the 
party  were  merry  about  it.  But  no — Mr.  Thompson  was  a  more 
experienced  traveller  than  his  companions  thought  him  at  first. 
The  contents  of  the  hat-case  were  sundry  brushes — including 
one  for  the  teeth — combs,  razors,  and  pieces  of  soap.  The  hat 
had  been  left  at  St.  Louis. 

But  the  umbrella  had  not.  It  was  then  under  Thompson's 
arm,  with  its  full  proportions  of  whalebone  and  gingham.  Under 
that  umbrella  he  had  hunted  tigers  in  the  jungles  of  India — 
under  that  umbrella  he  had  chased  the  lion  upon  the  plains  of 
Africa — under  that  umbrella  he  had  pursued  the  ostrich  and  the 
vicuna  over  the  pampas  of  South  America  ;  and  now  under  that 


14  THE   HUNTERS7    FEAbl. 

same  hemisphere  of  blue  gingham  he  was  about  to  carry  terror 
and  destruction  among  the  wild  buffaloes  of  the  prairies. 

Besides  the  umbrella — strictly  a  weapon  of  defence — Mr. 
Thompson  carried  another,  a  heavy  double-barrelled  gun,  marked 
"  Bishop,  of  Bond  Street,"  no  bad  weapon  with  a  loading  of 
buck  shot,  and  with  this  both  barrels  were  habitually  loaded. 

So  much  for  Mr.  Thompson,  who  may  pass  for  No.  1  of  the 
hunting  party.  He  was  mounted  on  a  strong  bay  cob,  with 
tail  cut  short,  and  English  saddle,  both  of  which  objects — the 
short  tail  and  the  saddle — were  curiosities  to  all  the  party  except 
Mr.  Thompson  and  myself. 

No.  2  was  as  unlike  No.  1  as  two  animal^  of  the  same  species 
could  possibly  be.  He  was  a  Kentuckian,  full  six  inches  taller 
than  Thompson,  or  indeed  than  any  of  the  party.  Hia  features 
were  marked,  prominent  and  irregular,  and  this  irregularity  was 
increased  by  a  "  cheekful"  of  half-chewed  tobacco.  His  com 
plexion  was  dark,  almost  olive,  and  the  face  quite  naked,  without 
either  moustache  or  whisker  ;  but  long  straight  hair,  black  as 
an  Indian's,  hung  down  to  his  shoulders.  In  fact,  there  was  a 
good  deal  of  the  Indian  look  about  him,  except  in  his  figure 
That  was  somewhat  slouched,  with  arms  and  limbs  of  over-length, 
loosely  hung  about  it.  Both,  however,  though  not  modelled 
after  the  Apollo,  were  evidently  full  of  muscle  and  tough  strength, 
and  looked  as  though  their  owner  could  return  the  hug  of  a 
bear  with  interest.  There  was  a  gravity  in  his  look,  but  that 
was  not  from  any  gravity  of  spirits  ;  it  was  his  swarth  complex 
ion  that  gave  him  this  appearance,  aided,  no  doubt,  by  several 
lines  of  "  ambeer  "  proceeding  from  the  corners  of  his  mouth  iu 
the  direction  of  the  chin.  So  far  from  being  grave,  this  dark 
Kentuckian  was  as  gay  and  buoyant  as  any  of  the  party. 
Indeed,  a  light  and  boyish  spirit  is  a  characteristic  of  the  Ken 
tuckian  as  well  as  of  all  the  natives  of  the  Mississippi  Valley — 
at  least  such  has  been  my  observation. 

Our  Kentuckian  was  costumed  just  as  he  would  have  been 


THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST.  16 

upon  a  cool  morning  riding  about  the  "  woodlawn"  on  his  own 
plantation,  for  a  "  planter  "  he  was.  He  wore  a  "  Jeans  »  fro  ck 
and  over  that  a  long-tailed  overcoat  of  the  best  green  blanket, 
with  side  pockets  and  flaps.  His  jeans  pantaloons  were  stuck 
into  a  pair  of  heavy  horse-leather  pegged  boots,  sometimes  known 
as  "  nigger  "  boots  ;  but  over  these  were  "  wrappers  "  of  green 
baize,  fastened  with  a  string  above  the  knees.  His  hat  was  a 
"  broad-brimmed  felt/'  costly  enough,  but  somewhat  crushed  by 
being  sat  upon  and  slept  in.  He  bestrode  a  tall  raw-boned 
steed  that  possessed  many  of  the  characteristics  of  the  rider  ; 
and  in  the  samo  proportion  that  the  latter  overtopped  his  com 
panions,  so  did  the  steed  outsize  all  the  other  horses  of  the  cav 
alcade.  Over  the  shoulders  of  the  Kentuckian  were  suspended, 
by  several  straps,  pouch,  horn,  and  haversack,  and  resting  upon 
his  toe  was  the  butt  of  a  heavy  rifle,  the  muzzle  of  which  reached 
to  a  level  with  his  shoulder. 

He  was  a  rich  Kentucky  planter,  and  known  in  his  native 
state  as  a  great  deer-hunter.  Some  business  or  pleasure  had 
brought  him  to  St.  Louis.  It  was  hinted  that  Kentucky  was 
becoming  too  thickly  settled  for  him — deer  becoming  scarce,  and 
bear  hardly  to  be  found — and  that  his  visit  to  St.  Louis  had 
something  to  do  with  seeking  a  new  "  location"  where  these  ani 
mals  were  still  to  be  met  with  in  greater  plenty.  The  idea  of 
buffalo-hunting  was  just  to  his  liking.  The  expedition  would 
carry  him  through  the  frontier  country,  where  he  might  after 
wards  choose  his  "  location  " — at  all  events  the  sport  would 
repay  him,  and  he  was  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic  in  regard 
to 'it. 

He  that  looms  up  on  the  retrospect  of  my  memory  as  No.  3 
was  as  unlike  the  Kentuckian,  as  the  latter  was  to  Thompson. 
He  was  a  disciple  of  Esculapius — not  thin  and  pale,  as  these 
usually  are,  but  fat,  red,  and  jolly.  I  think  he  was  originally 
a  "  Yankee,"  though  his  long  residence  in  the  Western  States 
had  rubbed  the  Yankee  out  of  him  to  a  great  extent.  At  all 


16  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

events  he  had  few  of  their  characteristics  about  him.  Hvj  was 
neither  staid,  sober,  nor,  what  is  usually  alleged  as  a  trait  of  the 
true  bred  Yankee,  "  stingy."  On  the  contrary,  our  doctor  was 
full  of  talk  and  joviality — generous  to  a  fault.  A  fault,  indeed  : 
for,  although  many  years  in  practice  in  various  parts  of  the 
United  States,  and  having  earned  large  sums  of  money,  at  the 
date  of  our  expedition  we  found  him  in  St.  Louis  almost  with 
out  a  dollar,  and  with  no  great  stock  of  patients.  The  truth 
must  be  told  ;  the  doctor  was  of  a  restless  disposition,  and 
liked  ir  glass  too  well.  He  was  a  singer  too,  a  fine  amateur 
singer,  with  a  voice  equal  to  Mario's.  That  may  partly  account 
for  his  failure  in  securing  a  fortune.  He  was  a  favourite  with 
all — ladies  included — and  so  fond  of  good  company,  that  he 
preferred  the  edge  of  the  jovial  board  to  the  bed-side  of  a 
patient. 

Not  from  any  fondness  for  buffalo-hunting,  but  rather  through 
an  attachment  to  some  of  the  company,  had  the  doctor  volun 
teered'.  Indeed,  he  was  solicited  by  all  to  make  one  of  us — 
partly  on  account  of  his  excellent  society,  and  partly  that  his 
professional  services  might  be  called  into  requisition  before  our 
return. 

The  doctor  still  preserved  his  professional  costume  of  black 
— somewhat  russet  by  long  wear — but  this  was  modified  by  a 
close-fitting  fur  cap,  and  wrappers  of  brown  cloth,  which  he 
wore  around  his  short  thick  legs.  -He  was  not  over-well  mounted 
— a  very  spare  little  horse  was  all  he  had,  as  his  funds  would  not 
stretch  to  a  better  It  was  quite  a  quiet  one,  however,  and 
carried  the  doctor  and  his  "  medical  saddle  bags/'  steadily 
enough,  though  not  without  a  good  deal  of  spurring  and  whip 
ping.  The  doctor's  name  was  "  Jopper" — Dr.  John  Jopper 

A  very  elegant  youth,  with  fine  features,  rolling  black  eyes, 
and  luxuriant  curled  hair,  was  one  of  us.  The  hands  were  well 
formed  and  delicate  ;  the  complexion  silky,  and  of  nearly  an 
olive  tint ;  but  the  purplish-red  broke  through  upon  his  cheeks, 


A    HUNTING    PARTY.  17 

giving  the  earnest  of  health,  as  well  as  adding  to  the  picturesque 
beauty  of  his  face.  The  form  was  perfect,  and  full  of  manly 
expression,_and  the  pretty  sky-blue  plaited  pantaloons  and  close- 
fitting  jacket  of  the  same  material,  sat  gracefully  on  his  well- 
turned  limbs  and  arms.  These  garments  were  of  "  cottonade," 
that  beautiful  and  durable  fabric  peculiar  to  Louisiana,  and  so 
well  suited  to  the  southern  climate.  A  costly  Panama  hat  cast 
its  shadow  over  the  wavy  curls  and  pictured  cheek  of  this  youth, 
and  a  cloak  of  fine  broadcloth,  with  velvet  facings,  hung 
loosely  from  his  shoulders.  A  slight  moustache  and  imperial 
lent  a  manlier  expression  to  his  chiselled  features. 

This  young  fellow  was  a  creole  of  Louisiana — a  student  of 
one  of  the  Jesuit  Colleges  of  that  State — and  although  very 
unlike  what  would  be  expected  from  such  a  dashing  personage, 
he  was  an  ardent,  even  passionate,  lover  of  nature.  Though 
still  young,  he  was  the  most  accomplished  botanist  in  his  State, 
and  had  already  published  several  discoveries  in  the  Flora  of 
the  South. 

Of  course  the  expedition  was  to  him  a  delightful  anticipation. 
It  would  afford  the  finest  opportunity  for  prosecuting  his 
favourite  study  in  a  new  field  ;  one  as  yet  almost  unvisited  by 
the  scientific  traveller.  The  young  Creole  was  known  as  Jules 
Besancon. 

He  was  not  the  only  naturalist  of  the  party.  Another  was 
with  us ;  one  who  had  already  acquired  a  world-wide  fame ; 
whose  name  was  as  familiar  to  the  savans  of  Europe  as  to  his 
own  countrymen.  He  was  already  an  old  man,  almost  venera 
ble  in  his  aspect,  but  his  tread  was  firm,  and  his  arm  still  strong 
enough  to  steady  his  long,  heavy,  double-barrelled  rifle.  An 
ample  coat  of  dark  blue  covered  hisr-  body ;  his  limbs  were 
enveloped  in  long  buttoned  leggings  of  drab  cloth,  and  a  cap  of 
sable  surmounted  his  high,  broad  forehead.  Under  this  his 
bluish  grey  eye  glanced  with  a  calm  but  clear  intelligence,  and 
a  single  look  from  it  satisfied  you  that  you  were  in  the  presence 


18 


of  a  superior  mind.  Were  I  to  give  the  name  of  this  person, 
this  would  readily  be  acknowledged.  For  certain  reasons  I 
cannot  do  this.  Suffice  it  to  say,  he  was  one  of  the  most  dis 
tinguished  of  modern  zoologists,  and  to  his  love  for  the  study 
we  were  indebted  for  his  companionship  upon  our  hunting 
expedition.  He  was  known  to  us  as  Mr.  A the  "hunter- 
naturalist."  There  was  no  jealousy  between  him  and  the  young 
Besan^on.  On  the  contrary,  a  similarity  of  tastes  soon  brought 
about  a  mutual  friendship,  and  the  Creole  was  observed  to  treat 
the  other  with  marked  deference  and  regard. 

I  may  set  myself  down  as  No.  6  of  the  party.  Let  a  short 
description  of  me  suffice.  I  was  then  but  a  young  fellow* 
educated  somewhat  better  than  common  ;  fond  of  wild  sports  ; 
not  indifferent  to  a  knowledge  of  nature ;  fond  almost  to  folly 
of  a  good  horse,  and  possessing  one  of  the  very  best ;  not 
ill-looking  in  the  face,  and  of  middle  stature ;  costumed  in  a 
light  hunting-shirt  of  embroidered  buckskin,  with  fringed  cape 
and  skirt ;  leggings  of  scarlet  cloth,  and  cloth  forage-cap,  cover 
ing  a  flock  of  dark  hair.  Powder-flask  and  pouch  of  tasty 
patterns  ;  belt  around  the  waist,  with  hunting-knife  and  pistols 
— revolvers.  A  light  rifle  in  one  hand,  and  in  the  other  a 
bridle-rein,  which  guided  a  steed  of  coal  blackness;  one  that 
would  have  been  celebrated  in  song  by  a  troubadour  of  the 
olden  time.  A  deep  Spanish  saddle  of  stamped  leather; 
holsters  with  bearskin  covers  in  front ;  a  scarlet  blanket,  folded 
and  strapped  on  the  croup ;  lasso  and  haversack  hanging  from 
the  "  horn  " — voild  tout ! 

There  are  two  characters  still  undescribed.  Characters  of  no 
mean  importance  were  they — the  "  guides."  They  were  called 
respectively,  Isaac  Bradley  and  Mark  Redwood.  A  brace  of 
trappers  they  were,  but  as  different  from  each  other  in  personal 
appearance  as  two  men  could  well  be.  Redwood  was  a  man  of 
large  dimensions,  and  apparently  as  strong  as  a  buffalo,  while  his 
confrere  was  a  thin,  wiry,  sinewy  mortal,  with  a  tough,  weazel- 


A    HUNTING    PARTY.  19 

like  look  and  gait.  The  expression  of  Redwood's  countenance 
was  open  and  manly,  his  eyes  were  grey,  his  hair  light- coloured, 
and  huge  brown  whiskers  covered  Jiis  cheeks.  Bradley,  on  the 
other  hand,  was  dark — his  eyes  small,  black,  and  piercing — his 
face  as  hairless  as  an  Indian's,  and  bronzed  almost  to  the 
Indian  hue,  with  the  black  hair  of  his  head  closely  cropped 
around  it. 

Both  these  men  were  dressed  in  leather  from  head  to  foot, 
yet  they  were  very  differently  dressed.  Redwood  wore  the 
usual  buckskin  hunting-shirt,  leggings  and  moccasins,  but  all  of 
full  proportions  and  well  cut,  while  his  large  coon-skin  cap,  with 
the  plume-like  tail,  had  an  imposing  appearance.  Bradley's 
garments,  on  the  contrary,  were  tight-fitting  and  "skimped.'7 
His  hunting-shirt  was  without  cape,  and  adhered  so  closely  to 
his  body  that  it  appeared  only  an  outer  skin  of  the  man  himself 
His  leggings  were  pinched  and  tight.  Shirt,  leggings,  and 
moccasins  were  evidently  of  the  oldest  kind,  and  as  dirty  as  a 
cobbler's  apron.  A  close-fitting  otter  cap,  with  a  Mackinaw 
blanket,  completed  the  wardrobe  of  Isaac  Bradley.  He  was 
equipped  with  a  pouch  of  greasy  leather  hanging  by  an  old 
black  strap,  a  small  .buffalo-horn  suspended  by  a  thong,  and  a 
belt  of  buffalo-leather,  in  which  was  stuck  a  strong  blade,  with 
its  handle  of  buckhorn.  His  rifle  was  of  the  "tallest"  kind — 
being  full  six  feet  in  height — in  fact,  taller  than  he  was,  and  at 
least  four-fifths  of  the  weapon  consisted  of  barrel.  The  straight 
narrow  stock  was  a  piece  of  manufacture  that  had  proceeded 
from  the  hands  of  the  trapper  himself. 

Redwood's  rifle  was  also  a  long  one,  but  of  more  modern 
build  and  fashion,  and  his  equipments — pouch,  powder-horn,  and 
belt — were  of  a  more  tasty  design  and  finish. 

Such  were  our  guides,  Redwood  and  Bradley.  They  were 
no  imaginary  characters  these.  Mark  Redwood  was  a  cele 
brated  "mountain  man"  at  that  time,  and  Isaac  Bradley 
will  be  recognized  by  many  when  I  give  him  the  name  and 


20  THE  HUNTER'S  FEAST. 

title  by  which  he  was  then  known — viz.  "  Old  Ike,  the  wolf- 
killer." 

Redwood  rode  a  strong  horse,  of  the  half-hunter  breed,  while 
the  "wolf-killer"  was  mounted  upon  one  of  the  scraggiest- 
looking  quadrupeds  it  would  be  possible  to  imagine — an  old 
mare  "  mustang." 


CHAPTER  II. 

THE    CAMP    AND    CAMP-FIRE. 

OUR  route  was  west  by  south.  The  nearest  point  with  which 
we  expected  to  fall  in  with  the  buffalo  was  two  hundred  miles 
distant.  We  might  travel  three  hundred  without  seeing  one, 
and  even  much  farther  at  the  present  day ;  but  a  report  had 
reached  St.  Louis  that  the  buffalo  had  been  seen  that  year 
upon  the  Osage  River,  west  of  the  Ozark  Hills,  and  towards 
that  point  we  steered  our  course.  We  expected  in  about 
twenty  days  to  fall  in  with  the  game.  Fancy  a  cavalcade  of 
hunters  making  a  journey  of  twenty  days  to  get  upon  the  field ! 
The  reader  will,  no  doubt,  say  we  were  in  earnest. 

At  the  time  of  which  I  am  writing,  a  single  day's  journey 
from  St.  Louis  carried  the  traveller  clear  of  civilized  life. 
There  were  settlements  beyond ;  but  these  were  sparse  and 
isolated — a  few  small  towns  and  plantations  upon  the  main 
watercourses — and  the  whole  country  between  them  was  an 
uninhabited  wilderness.  We  had  no  hope  of  being  sheltered  by 
a  roof  until  our  return  to  the  mound  city  itself,  but  we  had 
provided  ourselves  with  a  couple  of  tents,  part  of  the  freight  of 
our  waggon. 

There  are  but  few  parts  of  the  American  wilderness  where 


THE    CAMP    AND    CAMP-FIRE.  21 

the  traveller  can  depend  upon  wild  game  for  a  subsistence. 
Even  the  skilled  hunter  when  stationary  is  sometimes  put  to  his 
wits'  end  for  "daily  bread."  Upon  the  "route"  no  great 
opportunity  is  found  of  killing  game,  which  always  requires 
time  to  approach  it  with  caution.  Although  we  passed  through 
what  appeared  to  be  excellent  cover  for  various  species  of  wild 
animals,  we  reached  our  first  camp  without  having  ruffled  either 
hair  or  feathers.  In  fact,  neither  bird  nor  quadruped  had  been 
seen,  although  almost  every  one  of  the  party  had  been  on  the 
lookout  for  game  during  most  of  the  journey. 

This  was  rather  discouraging,  and  we  reasoned  that  if  such 
was  to  be  our  luck*until  we  got  into  the  buffalo  range  we  should 
have  a  very  dull  time  of  it.  We  were  well  provisioned,  however, 
and  we  regretted  the  absence  of  game  only  on  account  of  the 
sport.  A  large  bag  of  biscuit,  and  one  of  flour,  several  pieces 
of  "  hung  bacon,"  some  dry  ox-tongues,  a  stock  of  green  coffee, 
sugar,  and  salt,  were  the  principal  and  necessary  stores.  There 
were  "  luxuries,"  too,  which  each  had  provided  according  to  his 
fancy,  though  not  much  of  these,  as  every  one  of  the  party  had 
had  some  time  or  other  in  his  life  a  little  experience  in  the  way 
of  "  roughing  it."  Most  of  the  loading  of  the  waggon  consisted 
of  provender  for  our  horses  and  mules. 

We  made  full  thirty  miles  on  the  first  day.  Our  road  was  a 
good  one.  We  passed  over  easy  undulations,  most  of  them 
covered  with  "  black  jack."  This  is  a  species  of  dwarf  oak,  so 
called  from  the  very  dark  color  of  its  wrinkled  bark.  It  is 
almost  worthless  as  timber,  being  too  small  for  most  purposes. 
It  is  ornamental,  however,  forming  copse-like  groves  upon  the 
swells  of  the  prairie,  while  its  dark  green  foliage  contrasts  plea 
santly  with  the  lighter  green  of  the  grasses  beneath  its  shade. 
The  young  botanist,  Besan^on,  had  least  cause  to  complain. 
His  time  had  been  sufficiently  pleasant  during  the  day.  New 
foliage  fell  under  his  observation — new  flowers  opened  their 
corollas  to  his  delighted  gaze.  He  was  aided  in  making 


22  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

his  collections  by  the  hunter-naturalist,  who  of  course  was  tole 
rably  well  versed  in  this  kindred  science. 

"We  encamped  by  the  edge  of  a  small  creek  of  clear  water. 
Our  camp  was  laid  out  in  due  form,  and  every  thing  arranged 
in  the  order  we  designed  habitually  to  follow. 

Every  man  unsaddled  his  own  horse.  There  are  no  servants 
in  prairie-land.  Even  Lanty's  services  extended  not  beyond  the 
cuisine,  and  for  this  department  he  had  had  his  training  as  the 
cook  of  a  New  Orleans  trading  ship.  Jake  had  enough  to  do 
with  his  mules ;  and  to  have  asked  one  of  our  hunter-guides  to 
perform  the  task  of  unsaddling  your  horse,  would  have  been  a 
hazardous  experiment.  Menial  service  to  a  fre'e  trapper  !  There 
are  no  servants  in  prairie-land. 

Our  horses  and  mules  were  picketed  on  a  piece  of  open  ground, 
each  having  his  "  trail-rope,1"  which  allowed  a  circuit  of  several 
yards.  The  two  tents  were  pitched  side  by  side,  facing  the 
stream,  and  the  waggon  drawn  up  some  twenty  feet  in  the  rear. 
In  the  triangle  between  the  waggon  and  the  tents  was  kindled  a 
large  fire,  upon  each  side  of  which  two  stakes,  forked  at  the  top, 
were  driven  into  the  ground.  A  long  sapling  resting  in  the 
forks  traversed  the  blaze  from  side  to  side.  This  was  Lanty's 
"  crane," — the  fire  was  his  kitchen. 

Let  me  sketch  the  camp  more  minutely,  for  our  first  camp  was 
a  type  of  all  the  others  in  its  general  features.  Sometimes 
indeed  the  tents  did  not  front  the  same  way,  when  these  open 
ings  were  set  to  "  oblige  the  wind,"  but  they  were  always  placed 
side  by  side  in  front  of  the  waggon.  They  were  small  tents  of 
the  old-fashioned  conical  kind,  requiring  only  one  pole  each. 
They  were  of  sufficient  size  for  our  purpose,  as  there  were  only 
three  of  us  to  each — the  guides,  with  Jake  and  Lanty,  finding 
their  lodgment  under  the  tilt  of  the  wagon.  With  th«ir  grace 
ful  shape,  and  snowy-white  color  against  the  dark  green  foliage 
of  the  trees,  they  formed  an  agreeable  contrast ;  and  a  coup  (Tail 
of  the  camp  would  have  been  no  mean  picture  to  the  eye  of  an 


THE    CAMP    AND    CAMP-FIRE.  23 

artist.  The  human  figures  may  be  arranged  in  the  following 
manner. 

Supper  is  getting  ready,  and  Lanty  is  decidedly  at  this  time, 
the  most  important  personage  on  the  ground.  He  is  stooping 
over  the  fire,  with  a  small,  but  long-handled  frying-pan,  in 
•which  he  is  parching  the  coffee.  It  is  already  browned,  and 
Lanty  stirs  it  about  with  an  iron  spoon.  The  crane  carries 
the  large  coffee-kettle  of  sheet-iron,  full  of  water  upon  the  boil ; 
and  a  second  frying-pan,  larger  than  the  first,  is  filled  with  sliced 
ham,  ready  to  be  placed  upon  the  hot  cinders. 

Our  English  friend  Thompson  is  seated  upon  a  log,  with  the 
hat-box  before  him.  It  is  open,  and  he  has  drawn  out  from  it 
his  stock  of  combs  and  brushes.  He  has  already  made  his  ablu 
tions,  and  is  now  giving  the  finish  to  his  toilet,  by  putting  his 
hair,  whiskers,  moustache,  teeth,  and  even  his  nails,  in  order. 
Your  Englishman  is  the  most  comfortable  traveller  in  the 
world. 

The  Kentuckian  is  differently  engaged.  He  is  upon  his  feet ; 
in  one  hand  gleams  a  knife  with  ivory  handle  and  long  shining 
blade.  It  is  a  "  bowie,"  of  that  kind  known  as  an  ."  Arkansas 
toothpick."  In  the  other  hand  you  see  an  object  about  eight 
inches  in  length,  of  the  form  of  a  parallelogram,  and  of  a  dark 
brown  color.  It  is  a  "  plug  "  of  real  "  James's  River  tobacco.'' 
With  his  knife  the  Kentuckian  cuts  off  a  piece — a  "  chunk,"  as 
he  terms  it — which  is  immediately  transferred  to  his  mouth,  and 
chewed  to  a  pulp.  This  is  his  occupation  for  ths  moment. 

The  doctor,  what  of  him  ?  Doctor  Jopper  may  be  seen  close 
to  the  water's  edge.  In  his  hand  is  a  pewter  flask,  of  the  kind 
known  as  a  "  pocket  pistol."  That  pistol  is  loaded  with  brandy, 
and  Dr.  Jopper  is  just  in  the  act  of  drawing  part  of  the  charge, 
which,  with  a  slight  admixture  of  cool  creek  water,  is  carried 
aloft  and  poured  into  a  very  droughty  vessel.  The  effect,  how 
ever,  is  instantly  apparent  in  the  lively  twinkle  of  the  doctor's 
round  and  prominent  eyes. 


24  THE    HUNTERS     FEAST. 

Besancon  is  seated  near  the  tent,  and  the  old  naturalist  beside 
him.  The  former  is  busy  with  the  few  plants  he  has  collected. 
A  large  portfolio-looking  book  rests  upon  his  knees,  and  between 
its  leaves  he  is  depositing  his  stores  in  a  scientific  manner.  His 
companion,  who  understands  the  business  well,  is  kindly  assist 
ing  him.  Their  conversation  is  interesting,  but  every  one  else 
is  too  busy  with  his  affairs  to  listen  to  it  just  now. 

The  guides  are  lounging  about  the  waggon.  Old  Ike  fixes  a 
new  flint,  in  his  rifle,  and  Redwood,  of  a  more  mirthful  disposi 
tion,  is  tccasionally  cracking  a  joke  with  Mike  or  the  "  darkey." 

Jake  is  still  busy  with  his  mules,  and  I  with  my  favourite  steed, 
whose  feet  I  have  washed  in  the  stream,  and  anointed  with  a 
little  spare  grease.  I  shall  not  always  have  the  opportunity  of 
being  so  kind  to  him,  but  he  will  need  it  the  less,  as  his  hoofs 
become  more  hardened  by  the  journey. 

Around  the  camp  are  strewed  our  saddles,  bridles,  blankets, 
weapons  and  utensils.  These  will  all  be  collected  and  stowed 
under  cover  before  we  go  to  rest.  Such  is  a  picture  of  our 
camp  before  supper. 

When  that  meal  is  cooked,  the  scene  somewhat  changes. 

The  atmosphere,  even  at  that  season,  was  cool  enough,  and 
this,  with  Mike's  announcement  that  the  coffee  was  ready, 
brought  all  the  party — guides  as  well — around  the  blazing  pile 
of  logs.  Each  found  his  own  platter,  knife,  and  cup ;  and  help 
ing  himself  from  the  general  stock,  set  to  eating  on  his  own 
account/  Of  course  there  were  no  fragments,  as  a  strict  regard 
to  economy  was  one  of  the  laws  of  our  camp. 

Notwithstanding  the  fatigue,  always  incidental  to  a  first  day's 
march,  we  enjoyed  this  al  fresco  supper  exceedingly.  The 
novelty  had  much  to  do  with  our  enjoyment  of  it,  and  also  the 
fine  appetites  which  we  had  acquired  since  our  luncheon  at 
noon  halt. 

When  supper  was  over,  smoking  followed,  for  there  was  not 
one  of  the  party  who  was  not  an  inveterate  burner  of  the 


THE    CAMP    AND    CAMP-FIRE.  25 

"  noxious  weed."  Some  chose  segars,  of  which  we  had  brought 
a  good  stock,  but  several  were  pipe- smokers.  The  zoologist 
carried  a  meerschaum  ;  the  guides  smoked  out  of  Indian  calu 
mets  of  the  celebrated  steatite,  or  red  claystone.  Mike  had  his 
dark-looking  "  dudeen,"  find  Jake  his  pipe"  of  corn  "cob"  and 
cane-joint  shank. 

Our  English  friend  Thompson  had  a  store  of  the  finest 
Havannahs,  which  he  smoked  with  a  grace  peculiar  to  the  Eng 
lish  cigar-smoker  :  holding  his  cigar  impaled  upon  the  point  of 
his  knife-blade.  Kentucky  also  smoked  cigars,  but  his  was  half 
buried  within  his  mouth,  slanted  obliquely  towards  the  right 
cheek.  Besancon  preferred  the  paper  cigarette,  which  he  made 
extempore,  as  he  required  them,  out  of  a  stock  of  loose  tobacco. 
This  is  Creole  fashion — now  also  the  mode  de  Paris. 

A  song  from  the  doctor  enlivened  the  conversation,  and 
certainly  so  melodious  a  human  voice  had  never  echoed  near  the 
spot.  One  and  all  agreed  that  the  grand  opera  had  missed  a 
capital  "  first  tenor "  in  not  securing  the  services  of  our  com 
panion. 

The  fatigue  of  our  long  ride  caused  us  to  creep  into  our  tents 
at  an  early  hour,  and  rolling  ourselves  in  our  blankets  we  went 
to  sleep.  Of  course  everything  had  been  carefully  gathered  in 
lest  rain  might  fall  in  the  night.  The  trail  ropes  of  our  animals 
were  looked  to ;  we  did  not  fear  their  being  stolen,  but  horses 
on  their  first  few  days' journey  are  easily  "stampeded,"  and  will 
sometimes  stray  home  again.  This  would  have  been  a  great 
misfortune,  but  most  of  us  were  old  travellers,  and  every  caution 
was  observed  in  securing  against  such  a  result.  There  was  no 
guard  kept,  though  we  knew  the  time  would  come  when  that 
would  be  a  necessary  duty. 


26  THE  HUNTER'S  FEAST. 


CHAPTER  III. 

BESAN^ON'S  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  SWAMPS. 

THE  prairie  traveller  never  sleeps  after  daybreak.  He  is 
usually  astir  before  that  time.  He  has  many  "  chores  "  to  per 
form,  unknown  to  the  ordinary  traveller  who  rests  in  the  road 
side  inn.  He  has  to  pack  up  his  tent  and  bed,  cook  his  own 
breakfast,  and  saddle  his  horse.  All  this  requires  time,  there 
fore  an  early  start  is  necessary. 

We  were  on  our  feet  before  the  sun  had  shown  his  disc  above 
the  black-jacks.  Lanty  had  the  start  of  us,  and  had  freshened 
up  his  fire.  Already  the  coffee-kettle  was  bubbling  audibly, 
and  the  great  trying-pan  perfumed  the  camp  with  an  incense 
more  agreeable  than  the  odours  of  Araby. 

The  raw  air  of  the  morning  had  brought  everybody  around 
the  fire.  Thompson  was  pruning  and  cleansing  his  nails  ;  the 
Kentuckian  was  cutting  a  fresh  "chunk"  from  his  plug  of 
"  James's  River ;"  the  doctor  had  just  returned  from  the  stream, 
where  he  had  refreshed  himself  by  a  "  nip "  from  his  pewter 
flask;  Besancon  was  packing  up  his  portfolios;  the  zoologist 
was  lighting  his  long  pipe,  and  the  "  Captain  "  was  looking  to 
his  favourite  horse,  while  inhaling  the  fragrance  of  an  "  Havan- 
nah."  The  guides  stood  with  their  blankets  hanging  from  their 
shoulders,  silent  and  thoughtful. 

In  half  an  hour  breakfast  was  over,  the  tents  and  utensils 
were  restored  to  the  wasrgon,  the  horses  were  brought  in  and 
saddled,  the  mules  "  hitched  up,"  and  the  expedition  once  more 
on  its  way. 

This  day  we  made  not  quite  so  good  a  journey.  The  roads 
were  heavier,  the  country  more  thickly  timbered,  and  the  ground 


BESAN90N'S    ADVENTURE    IN    THE    SWAMPS.  27 

more  hilly.  We  had  several  small  streams  to  ford,  and  this 
retarded  our  progress.  Twenty  miles  was  the  extent  of  our 
journey. 

We  encamped  again  without  any  of  us  having  killed  or  seen 
game.  Although  we  had  beaten  the  bushes  on  both  sides  of  our 
course,  nothing  bigger  than  the  red-bird  (scarlet  tanager,  Pyranya 
rubru),  a  screaming  jay,  or  an  occasional  flight  of  finches,  gra 
tified  our  sight. 

We  reached  our  camp  somewhat  disappointed.  Even  old  Ike 
and  Redwood  came  into  camp  without  game,  alleging  also  that 
they  had  not  met  with  the  sign  of  a  living  quadruped. 

Our  second  camp  was  also  on  the  bank  of  a  small  stream. 
Shortly  after  our  arrival  on  the  ground,  Thompson  started  out 
afoot,  taking  with  him  his  gun.  He  had  noticed  a  tract  of 
marsh  at  no  £reat  distance  off.  He  thought  it  promised  well 
for  snipe. 

He  had  not  been  long  gone,  when  two  reports  echoed  back, 
and  then  shortly  after  another  and  another.  He  had  found 
something  to  empty  his  gun  at. 

Presently  we  saw  him  returning  with  a  brace  arid  a  half  of 
birds  that  looked  very  much  like  large  snipe.  So  he  thought 
them,  but  that' question  was  set  at  rest  by  the  zoologist,  who 
pronounced  them  at  once  to  be  the  American  "Curlew"  of 
Wilson  (Numemus  longirostris).  Curlew  or  snipe,  they  were 
soon  divested  of  the  feathery  coat,  and  placed  in  LantyV  fry  ing- 
pan.  Excellent  eating  they  proved,  having  only  the  fault  that 
there  was  not  enough  of  them. 

These  birds  formed  the  topic  of  our  after-supper  conversation, 
and  then  it  generalised  to  the  different  species  of  wading  birds 
of  America,  and  at  length  that  singular  creature,  the  "ibis," 
became  the  theme.  This  came  round  by  Besancon  remarking 
that  a  species  of  ibis  was  brought  by  the  Indians  to  the  markets 
of  New  Orleans,  and  sold  there  under  the  name  of  "Spanish 
Curlew."  This  was  the  white  ibis  (Tantalus  albus),  which  the 


28  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

zoologist  stated  was  found  in  plenty  along  the  whole  southern 
coast  of  the  United  States.  There  were  two  other  species,  he 
said,  natives  of  the  warm  parts  of  North  America,  the  "  wood 
ibis "  (Tantalus  loculator),  which  more  nearly  resembles  the 
sacred  ibis  of  Egypt,  and  the  beautiful  "sacred  ibis"  (Tantalus 
ruber},  which  last  is  rarer  than  the  others. 

Our  venerable  companion,  who  had  the  ornithology  of  Ame 
rica,  if  I  may  use  the  expression,  at  his  fingers'  ends,  imparted 
many  curious  details  of  the  habits  of  these  rare  birds.  All 
listened  with  interest  to  his  statements — even  the  hunter-guides, 
for  with  all  their  apparent  rudeness  of  demeanour,  there  was  a 
dash  of  the  naturalist  in  these  fellows. 

When  the  zoologist  became  silent,  the  young  Creole  took  up 
the  conversation.  Talking  of  the  ibis,  he  said,  reminded  him  of 
an  adventure  he  had  met  with  while  in  pursuit  ojf  these  birds 
among  the  swamps  of  his  native  state.  lie  would  relate  it  to 
us.  Of  course  we  were  rejoiced  at  the  proposal.  We  were  just 
the  audience  for  an  "  adventure,"  and  after  rolling  a  fresh  ciga 
rette,  the  botanist  began  his  narration. 

"During  one  of  my  college  vacations  I  made  a  botanical 
excursion  to  the  south-western  part  of  Louisiana.  Before  leav 
ing  home  I  had  promised  a  dear  friend  to  bring  him  the  skins 
of  such  rare  birds  as  were  known  to  frequent  the  swampy  region 
I  was  about  to  traverse,  but  he  was  especially  desirous  I  should 
obtain  for  him  some  specimens  of  the  red  ibis,  which  he  intended 
to  have  'mounted.'  I  gave  my  word  that  no  opportunity 
should  be  lost  of  obtaining  these  birds,  and  I  was  very  anxious 
to  make  good  my  promise. 

"  Tjje  southern  part  of  the  State  of  Louisiana  is  one  vast 
labyrinth  of  swamps,  bayous,  and  lagoons.  The  bayous  are 
sluggish  streams  that  glide  sleepily  along,  sometimes  running 
one  way,  and  sometimes  the  very  opposite,  according  to  the 
season  of  the  year.  Many  of  them  are  outlets  of  the  Mississippi, 
which  begins  to  shed  off  its  waters  more  than  300  miles  from 


BESAN50N'S  ADVENTURE  IN  THE  SWAMPS.         29 

its  mouth.  These  bayous  are  deep,  sometimes  narrow,  some 
times  wide,  with  islets  in  their  midst.  They  and  their  con 
tiguous  swamps  are  the  great  habitat  of  the  alligator  and  the 
fresh-water  shark — the  gar.  Numerous  species  of  water  and 
wading  fowl  fly  over  them  and  plunge  through  their  dark  tide. 
Here  you  may  see  the  red  flamingo,  the  egret,  the  trumpeter- 
swan,  the  blue  heron,  the  wild  goose,  the  crane,  the  snake-bird, 
the  pelican,  and  the  ibis ;  you  may  likewise  see  the  osprey,  and 
the  white-headed  eagle  robbing  him  of  his  prey.  Both  swamps 
and  bayous  produce  abundantly  fish,  reptile,  and  insect,  and  are, 
consequently,  the  favourite  resort  of  hundreds  of  birds  which 
prey  upon  these  creatures.  In  some  places  their  waters  form  a 
complete  net-work  ov^r  the  country,  which  you  may  traverse 
with  a  small  boat  in  almost  any  direction ;  indeed,  this  is  the 
means  by  whjch  many  settlements  communicate  with  each  other. 
As  you  approach  southward  towards  the  Gulf,  you  get  clear  of 
the  timber;  and  within  some  fifty  miles  of  the  sea,  there  is  not 
a  tree  to  be  seen. 

"In  the  first  day  or  two  that  I  was  out,  I  had  succeeded  in 
getting  all  the  specimens  I  wanted,  with  the  exception  of  the  ibis. 
This  shy  creature  avoided  me ;  in  fact  I  had  only  seen  one  or  two 
in  my  excursions,  and  these  at  a  great  distance.  I  still,  how 
ever,  had  hopes  of  finding  them  before  my  return  to  my  friend. 

"About  the  third  or  fotirth  day  I  set  out  from  a  small  settle 
inent  on  the  edge  of  one  of  the  larger  bayous.  I  had  no  othei 
company  than  my  gun.  I  was  even  unattended  by  a  dog,  as  my 
favourite  spaniel  had  the  day  before  been  bitten  by  an  alligator 
while  swimming  across  the  bayou,  and  I  was  compelled  to  leave 
him  at  the  settlement.  Of  course  the  object  of  my  excursion 
was  a  search  after  new  flora,  but  I  had  become  by  this  time  very 
desirous  of  getting  the  rare  ibis,  and  I  was  determined  half  to 
neglect  my  botanising  for  that  purpose.  I  went  of  course  in-  a 
boat,  a  light  skiff",  such  as  is  commonly  used  by  the  inhabitants 
of  those  parts. 


30 


"Occasionally  using  the  paddles,  I  allowed  myself  to  float 
some  four  or  five  miles  down  the  main  bayou  ;  but  as  the  birds  I 
was  in  search  of  did  not  appear,  I  struck  into  a  '  branch,'  and 
sculled  myself  up  stream.  This  carried  me  through  a  solitary 
region,  with  marshes  stretching  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see, 
covered  with  tall  reeds.  There  was  no  habitation,  nor  aught 
that  betokened  the  presence  of  man.  It  was  just  possible  that 
I  was  the  first  human  being  who  had  ever  found  a  motive  for 
propelling  a  boat  through  the  dark  waters  of  this  solitary 
stream. 

"  As  I  advanced,  I  fell  in  with  game  ;  and  I  succeeded  in  bag 
ging  several,  both  of  the  great  wood-ibis  and  the  white  species. 
I  also  shot  a  fine  white-headed  eagle  (Falco  leucocephalus)^ 
which  came  soaring  over  my  boat,  unconscious  of  danger.  But 
the  bird  which  I  most  wanted  seemed  that  which  could  not  be 
obtained.  I  wanted  the  scarlet  ibis. 

"I  think  I  had  rowed  some  three  miles  up-stream,  and  was 
about  to  take  in  my  oars  and  leave  my  boat  to  float  back  again, 
when  I  perceived  that,  a  little  farther  up,  the  bayou  widened. 
Curiosity  prompted  me  to  continue ;  and  after  pulling  a  few 
hundred  strokes,  I  found  myself  at  the  end  of  an  oblong  lake, 
a  mile  or  so  in  length.  It  was  deep,  dark,  marshy  around  the 
shores,  and  full  of  alligators.  I  saw  their  ugly  forms  and  long 
serrated  backs,  as  they  floated  about  in  all  parts  of  it,  hungrily 
hunting  for  fish  and  eating  one  another ;  but  all  this  was 
nothing  new,  for  I  had  witnessed  similar  scenes  during  the  whole 
of  my  excursion.  What  drew  my  attention  most,  was  a  small 
islet  near  the  middle  of  the  lake,  upon  one  end  of  which  stood 
a  row  of  upright  forms  of  a  bright  scarlet  colour.  These  red 
creatures  were  the  very  objects  I  was  in  search  of.  They  might 
be  flamingoes:  I  could  not  tell  at  that  distance.  So  much  the 
better,  if  I  could  only  succeed  in  getting  a  shot  at  them  ;  but 
these  creatures  are  even  more  wary  than  the  ibis ;  and  as  the 
islet  was  low,  and  altogether  without  cover,  it  was  not  likely  they 


BESAN£ON'S    ADVENTURE    IN    THE    SWAMPS.  31 

would  allow  me  to  come  within  range ;  nevertheless,  I  was 
determined  to  make  the  attempt.  I  rowed  up  the  lake,  occa 
sionally  turning  my  head  to  see  if  the  game  had  taken  the  alarm. 
The  sun  was  hot  and  dazzling ;  and  as  the  bright  scarlet  was 
magnified  by  refraction,  I  fancied  for  a  long  time  they  were  fla 
mingoes.  This  fancy  was  dissipated  as  I  drew  near.  The  out 
lines  of  the  bills,  like  the  blade  of  a  sabre,  convinced  me  they 
were  the  ibis ;  besides,  I  now  saw  that  they  were  less  than  three 
feet  in  height,  while  the  flamingoes  stand  five.  There  were  a 
dozen  of  them  in  all.  These  were  balancing  themselves,  as  is 
their  usual  habit,  on  one  leg,  apparently  asleep,  or  buried  in 
deep  thought.  They  were  on  the  upper  extremity  of  the  islet, 
while  I  was  approaching  it  from  below.  It  was  not  above  sixtv 
yards  across ;  and  could  I  only  reach  the  point  nearest  me,  I 
knew  my  gun  would  throw  shot  to  kill  at  that  distance.  I  feared 
the  stroke  of  the  sculls  would  start  them,  and  I  pulled  slowly 
and  cautiously.  Perhaps  the  great  heat — for  it  was  as  hot  a 
day  as  I  can  remember — had  rendered  them  torpid  or  lazy. 
Whether  or  not,  they  sat  still  until  the  cut-water  of  my  skiff 
touched  the  bank  of  the  islet.  I  drew  my  gun  up  cautiously, 
took  aim,  and  fired  both  barrels  almost  simultaneously.  When 
the  smoke  cleared  out  of  my  eyes,  I  saw  that  all  the  birds  had 
flown  off  except  one,  that  lay  stretched  out  by  the  edge  of  the 
water. 

"  Gun  in  hand,  I  leaped  out  of  the  boat,  and  ran  across  the 
islet  to  bag  my  game.  This  occupied  but  a  few  minutes ;  and  I 
was  turning  to  go  back  to  the  skiff,  when,  to  my  consternation, 
I  saw  it  out  upon  the  lake,  and  rapidly  floating  downward  ! 

"  In  my  haste  I  had  left  it  unfastened,  and  the  bayou  current 
had  carried  it  oft'.  It  was  still  but  a  hundred  yards  distant,  but 
it  might  as  well  be  a  hundred  miles,  for  at  that  time  I  could  not 
swim  a  stroke. 

"  My  first  impulse  was  to  rush  down  to  the  lake,  and  after 
the  boat.  This  impulse  was  checked  on  arriving  at  the  water's 


32  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

edge,  which  I  saw  at  a  glance  was  fathoms  in  depth.  Quick 
reflection  told  me  that  the  boat  was  gone — irrecoverably  gone  1 

"  I  did  not  at  first  comprehend  the  full  peril  of  my  situation, 
nor  will  you,  gentlemen.  I  was  on  an  islet,  in  a  lake,  only  half 
a  mile  from  its  shores — alone,  it  is  true,  and  without  a  boat  ; 
but  what  of  that?  Many  a  man  had  been  so  before,  with  not  an 
idea  of  danger. 

"  These  were  first  thoughts,  natural  enough  ;  but  they  rapidly 
gave  place  to  others  of  a  far  different  character.  When  I  gazed 
after  my  boat,  now  beyond  recovery — when  I  looked  around,  and 
saw  that  the  lake  lay  in  the  middle  of  an  interminable  swamp, 
the  shores  of  which,  even  could  I  have  reached  them,  did  not 
seem  to  promise  me  footing — when  I  reflected  that,  being  unable 
to  swim,  I  could  not  reach  them — that  upon  the  islet  there  was 
neither  tree,  nor  log,  nor  bush ;  not  a  stick  out  of  which  I  might 
make  a  raft — I  say,  when  I  reflected  upon  all  these  things,  there 
arose  in  my  mind  a  feeling  of  well-defined  and  absolute  horror. 

"  It  is  true  I  was  only  in  a  lake,  a  mile  or  so  in  width  ;  but  so 
far  as  the  peril  and  helplessness  of  my  situation  were  concerned, 
I  might  as  well  have  been  on  a  rock  in  the  middle  of  the  Atlan 
tic.  I  knew  that  there  was  no  settlement  within  miles— miles 
of  pathless  swamp.  I  knew  that  no  one  could  either  see  or  hear 
me — no  one  was  at  all  likely  to  come  near  the  lake ;  indeed,  I 
felt  satisfied  that  my  faithless  boat  was  the  first  keel  that  had 
ever  cut  its  waters.  The  very  tameness  of  the  birds  wheeling 
round  my  head  was  evidence  of  this.  I  felt  satisfied,  too,  that 
without  some  one  to  help  me,  I  should  never  go  out  of  that 
lake  :  I  must  die  on  the  islet,  or  drown  in  attempting  to 
leave  it ! 

"These  reflections  rolled  rapidly  over  my  startled  soul.  The 
facts  were  clear,  the  hypothesis  definite,  the  sequence  certain  ; 
there  was  no  ambiguity,  no  supposititious  hinge  upon  which  I 
could  hang  a  hope  ;  no,  not  one.  I  could  not  even  expect  that 
I  should  be  missed  and  sought  for  ;  there  was  no  one  to  search 


BESANgON's    ADVENTURE    IN   THE    SWAMPS.  33 

for  me.  The  simple  habitans  of  the  village  I  had  left  knew  me 
not — I  was  a  stranger  among  them  ;  they  only  knew  me  as  a 
stranger,  and  fancied  me  a  strange  individual  ;  one  who  made 
lonely  excursions,  and  brought  home  bunches  of  weeds,  with 
birds,  insects,  and  reptiles,  which  they  had  never  before  seen, 
although  gathered  at  their  own  doors.  My  absence,  besides, 
would  be  nothing  new  to  them,  even  though  it  lasted  for  days  :  I 
had  often  been  absent  before,  a  week  at  a  time.  There  was  no 
hope  of  my  being  missed. 

"  I  have  said  that  these  reflections  came  and  passed  quickly. 
In  less  than  a  minute,  my  affrighted  soul  was  in  full  possession 
of  them,  and  almost  yielded  itself  to  despair.  I  shouted,  but 
rather  involuntarily  than  with  any  hope  that  I  should  be  heard  ; 
I  shouted  loudly  and  fiercely  :  my  answer — the  echoes  of  my 
own  voice,  the  shriek  of  the  osprey,  and  the  maniac  laugh  of  the 
white-headed  eagle. 

"  I  ceased  to  shout,  threw  my  gun  to  the  earth,  and  tottered 
down  beside  it.  I  can  imagine  the  feelings  of  a  man  shut  up  in 
a  gloomy  prison — they  are  not  pleasant.  I  have  been  lost  upon 
the  wild  prairie — the  land^sea — without  bush,  break,  or  star  to 
guide  me — that  was  worse.  There  you  look  around  ;  you  'see  * 
nothing  ;  you  hear  nothing  ;  you  are  alone  with  God,  and  you 
tremble  in  his  presence  ;  your  senses  swim  ;  your  brain  reels  ; 
you  are  afraid  of  yourself ;  you  are  afraid  of  your  own  mind. 
Deserted  by  everything  else,  you  dread  lest  it,  too,  may  forsake 
you.  There  is  horror  in  this — it  is  very  horrible — it  is  hard  to 
bear  ;  but  I  have  borne  it  all,  and  would  bear  it  again  twenty 
times  over  rather  than  endure  once  more  the  first  hour  I  spent 
on  that  lonely  islet  in  that  lonely  lake.  Your  prison  may  be  dark 
and  silent,  -but  you  feel  that  you  are  not  utterly  alone  ;  being:; 
like  yourself  are  near,  though  they  be  your  jailers.  Lost  on  the 
prairie,  you  are  alone  ;  but  you  are  free.  In  the  islet,  I  felt 
that  I  was  alone  ;  that  I  was  not  free  ;  in  the  islet  I  experi 
enced  the  feelings  of  the  prairie  and  the  prison  combined. 

2* 


34  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

• 

"  I  lay  in  a  state  of  stupor — almost  unconscious  ;  how  long  I 
know  not,  but  many  hours  I  am  certain ;  I  knew  this  by  the 
sun — it  was  going  down  when  I  awoke,  if  I.  may  so  term  the 
recovery  of  my  stricken  senses.  I  was  aroused  by  a  strange 
circumstance :  I  was  surrounded  by  dark  objects  of  hideous 
shape  and  hue — reptiles  they  were.  They  had  been  before  my 
eyes  for  some  time,  but  I  had  not  seen  them.  I  had  only  a  sort 
of  dreamy  consciousness  of  their  presence  ;  but  I  heard  them  at 
length  ;  my  ear  was  in  better  tune,  and  the  strange  noises  they 
uttered  reached  my  intellect.  It  sounded  like  the  blowing  of 
great  bellows,  with  now  and  then  a  note  harsher  and  louder, 
like  the  roaring  of  a  bull.  This  startled  me,  and  I  looked  up 
and  bent  my  eyes  upon  the  objects :  they  were  forms  of  the 
crocodilidce,  the  giant  lizards — they  were  alligators. 

"  Huge  ones  they  were,  many  of  them  ;  and  many  were  they 
in  number — a  hundred  at  least  were  crawling  over  the  islet, 
before,  behind,  and  on  all  sides  around  me.  Their  long,  gaunt 
jaws  and  channelled  snouts  projected  forward  so  as  almost  to 
touch  my  body  ;  and  their  eyes,  usually  leaden,  seemed  now  to 
glare. 

"  Impelled  by  this  new  danger,  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  when, 
recognizing  the  upright  form  of  man,  the  reptiles  scuttled  off, 
and  plunging  hurriedly  into  the  lake,  hid  their  hideous  bodies 
under  the  water. 

"The  incident  in  some  measure  revived  me.  I  saw  that  I 
was  not  alone  ;  there  was  company  even  in  the  crocodiles.  I 
gradually  became  more  myself;  and  began  to  reflect  with  some 
degree  of  coolness  on  the  circumstances  that  surrounded  me. 
My  eyes  wandered  over  the  islet ;  every  inch  of  it  came  under 
my  glance  ;  every  object  upon  it  was  scrutinized — the  moulted 
feathers  of  wild-fowl,  the  pieces  of  mud,  the  fresh-water  mussels 
(union]  strewed  upon  its  beach — all  were  examined.  Still  the 
barren  answer — no  means  of  escape. 

"The  islet  was  but  the  head  of  a  sand-bar,  formed  by  the 


ADVENTURE    IN    THE    SWAMPS.  35 


eddy,  perhaps  gathered  together  within  the  year.  It  was  bare 
of  herbage,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  tufts  of  grass.  There 
was  neither  tree  nor  bush  upon  it  :  not  a  stick.  A  raft, 
indeed  !  There  was  not  wood  enough  to  make  a  raft  that 
would  have  floated  a  frog.  The  idea  of  a  raft  was  but  briefly 
entertained  ;  such  a  thought  had  certainly  crossed  my  mind,  but 
a  single  glance  round  the  islet  dispelled  it  before  it  had  taken 
shape. 

"I  paced  my  prison  from  end  to  end;  from  side  to  side  I 
walked  it  over.  I  tried  the  water's  depth  ;  on  all  sides  I 
sounded  it,  wading  recklessly  in  ;  everywhere  it  deepened 
rapidly  as  I  advanced.  Three  lengths  of  myself  from  the  islet's 
edge,  and  I  was  up  to  the  neck.  The  huge  reptiles  swam 
around,  snorting  and  blowing;  they  were  bolder  in  this  element. 
I  could  not  have  waded  safely  ashore,  even  had  the  water  been 
shallow.  To  swim  it  —  no  —  even  though  I  swam  like  a  duck, 
they  would  have  closed  upon  and  quartered  me  before  I  could 
have  made  a  dozen  strokes.  Horrified  by  their  demonstrations, 
I  hurried  back  upon  dry  ground,  and  paced  the  islet  with  drip 
ping  garments. 

"  I  continued  walking  until  night,  which  gathered  around  me 
dark  and  dismal.  With  night  came  new  voices  —  the  hideous 
voices  of  the  nocturnal  swamp  ;  the  qua-qua  of  the  night-heron, 
the  screech  of  the  swamp-owl,  the  cry  of  the  bittern,  the  el-l-luk 
of  the  great  water-toad,  the  tinkling  of  the  bell-frog,  and  the 
chirp  of  the  savanna-cricket  —  all  fell  upon  my  ear.  Sounds  still 
harsher  and  more  hideous  were  heard  around  me  —  the  plashing 
of  the  alligator,  and  the  roaring  of  his  voice  ;  these  reminded 
me  that  I  must  not  go  to  sleep.  To  sleep  !  I  durst  not  have 
slept  for  a  single  instant.  Even  when  I  lay  for  a  few  minutes 
motionless,  the  dark  reptiles  came  crawling  round  me  —  so  close 
that  I  could  have  put  forth  my  hand  and  touched  them. 

"  At  intervals,  I  sprang  to  my  feet,  shouted,  swept  my  guP 
around,  and  chased  them  back  to  the  water,  into  which  they 


36 


betook  themselves  with  a  sullen  plunge,  but  with  little  sem 
blance  of  fear.  At  each  fresh  demonstration  on  my  part  they 
showed  less  alarm,  until  I  could  no  longer  drive  them  either 
with  shouts  or  threatening  gestures.  They  only  retreated  a 
few  feet,  forming  an  irregular  circle  round  me. 

"  Thus  hemmed  in,  I  became  frightened  in  turn.  I  loaded  my 
gun  and  fired ;  I  killed  none.  They  are  impervious  to  a  bullet, 
except  in  the  eye,  or  under  the  forearm.  It  was  too  dark  to 
aim  at  these  parts  ;  and  my  shots  glanced  harmlessly  from  the 
pyramidal  scales  of  their  bodies.  The  loud  report,  however, 
and  the  blaze  frightened  them,  and  they  fled,  to  return  again 
after  a  long  interval.  I  was  asleep  when  they  returned :  I  had 
gone  to  sleep  in  spite  of  my  efforts  to  keep  awake.  I  was 
startled  by  the  touch  of  something  cold ;  and  half-stifled  by  the 
strong  musky  odour  that  filled  the  air.  I  threw  out  my  arms; 
my  fingers  rested  upon  an  object  slippery  and  clammy :  it  was 
one  of  these  monsters — one  of  gigantic  size.  He  had  crawled 
close  alongside  me,  and  was  preparing  to  make  his  attack ;  as  I 
saw  that  he  was  bent  in  the  form  of  a  bow,  and  I  knew  that 
these  creatures  assume  that  attitude  when  about  to  strike  their 
victim.  I  was  just  in  time  to  spring  aside,  and  avoid  the  stroke 
of  his  powerful  tail,  that  the  next  moment  swept  the  ground 
where  I  had  lain.  Again  I  fired,  and  he  with  the  rest  once 
more  retreated  to  the  lake. 

"  All  thoughts  of  going  to  sleep  were  at  an  end.  Not  that 
I  felt  wakeful ;  on  the  contrary,  wearied  with  my  day's  exertion 
— for  I  had  had  a  long  pull  under  a  hot  tropical  sun — I  could 
have  lain  down  upon  the  earth,  in  the  mud,  anywhere,  and  slept 
in  an  instant.  Nothing  but  the  dread  certainty  of  my  peril 
kept  me  awake.  Once  again  before  morning,  I  was  compelled 
to  battle  with  the  hideous  reptiles,  and  chase  them  away  with  t 
shot  from  my  gun. 

"Morning  came  at  length,  but  with  it  no  change  in  my 
perilous  position.  The  light  only  showed  me  my  island  prison, 


40 


alleged,  would  render  our  camp  conversation  instructive  as  well 
as  entertaining. 

The  idea  originated  with  the  old  hunter-naturalist,  who  very 
wisely  reasoned  that  among  so  many  gentlemen  of  large  hunting 
experience  he  might  collect  new  facts  for  his  favorite  science — 
for  to  just  such  men,  and  not  to  the  closet-dreamer,  is  natural 
history  indebted  for  its  most  interesting  chapters.  Of  course 
every  one  of  us,  guides  and  all,  warmly  applauded  the  proposal, 
for  there  was  no  one  among  us  averse  to  receiving  a  little  know 
ledge  of  so  entertaining  a  character.  No  doubt  to  the  naturalist 
himself  we  should  be  indebted  for  most  part  of  it ;  and  his  mode 
of  communicating  was  so  pleasant,  that  even  the  rude  trappers 
listened  to  him  with  wonder  and  attention.  They  saw  that  he 
was  no  "greenhorn," — either  in  wood-craft  or  prairie  knowledge, 
and  that  was  a  sufficient  claim  to-  their  consideration. 

There  is  no  character  less  esteemed  by  the  regular  "  mountain 
man  "  than  a  "  greenhorn," — that  is,  one  who  is  new  to  the  ways 
of  their  wilderness  life. 

With  the  design  of  an  early  start,  we  once  more  crept  into 
our  several  quarters,  and  went  to  sleep. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE    PASSENGER    PJGEOKS. 

AFTER  an  early  breakfast  we  lit  our  pipes  and  cigars,  and 
took  to  the  road.  The  sun  was  very  bright,  and  in  less  than  two 
hours  after  starting  we  were  sweltering  under  a  heat  that  was 
almost  tropical.  It  was  one  of  those  autumn  days  peculiar  to 
America,  where  even  a  high  latitude  seems  to  be  no  protection 
against  the  sun,  and  his  beams  fall  upon  one  with  as  much  fer 
vour  as  they  would  under  the  line  itself.  The  first  part  of  our 


THE    PASSENGER   PIGEONS.  41 

journey  was  through  open  woods  of  black-jack,  whose  stunted 
forms  afforded  no  shade,  but  only  shut  off  the  breeze  which 
might  otherwise  have  fanned  us. 

While  fording  a  shallow  stream,  the  doctor's  scraggy,  ill-tem 
pered  horse  took  a  fit  of  kicking  quite  frantical.  For  some  time 
it  seemed  likely  that  either  the  doctor  himself  or  his  saddle-bags, 
would  be  deposited  in  the  bottom  of  the  creek,  but  after  a  severe 
spell  of  whipping  and  kicking  on  the  part  of  the  rider,  the  animal 
moved  on  again.  What  had  set  it  dancing?  That  was  the 
question.  It  had  the  disposition  to  be  "frisky,"  but  usually 
appeared  to  be  lacking  in  strength.  The  buzz  of  a  horse-fly 
sounding  in  our  ears  explained  all.  It  was  one  of  those  large 
insects — the  "horse-bug," — peculiar  to  the  Mississippi  country, 
and  usually  found  near  watercourses.  They  are  more  terrible  to 
horses  than  a  fierce  dog  would  be.  I  have  known  horses  gallop 
away  from  them  as  if  pursued  by  a  beast  of  prey. 

There  is  a  belief  among  western  people  that  these  insects  are 
propagated  by  the  horses  themselves;  that  is,  that  the  eggs  of 
the  female  are  deposited  upon  the  grass  so  that  the  horses  may 
swallow  them ;  that  incubation  goes  on  within  the  stomach  of 
the  animal,  and  that  the  chrysalis  is  afterwards  voided.  I  have 
met  with  others  who  believe  in  a  still  stranger  theory ;  that  the 
insect  itself  actually  sought  and  found  a  passage  into  the  sto 
mach  of  the  horse,  some  said  by  passing  down  his  throat,  others 
by  boring  a  hole  through  his  abdomen  ;  and  that  in  such  cases 
the  horse  usually  sickened,  and  was  in  danger  of  dying. 

After  the  doctor's  mustang  had  returned  to  proper  behaviour, 
these  odd  theories  became  the  subject  of  discussion.  The  Ken- 
tuckian  believed  in  them — the  Englishman  doubted  them — the 
hunter-naturalist  could  not  endorse  them — and  Besan§on  ignor 
ed  them  entirely. 

Shortly  after  the  incident  we  entered  the  bottom  lands  of  a 
considerable  stream.  These  were  heavily  timbered,  and  the 
shadow  of  the  great  forest  trees  afforded  us  a  pleasant  relief 


42  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

from  the  hot  sun.  Our  guides  told  us  we  had  several  miles  of 
such  woods  to  pass  through,  and  we  were  glad  of  the  informa 
tion.  We  noticed  that  most  of  the  trees  were  heech,  and  their 
smooth  straight  trunks  rose  like  columns  around  us. 

The  beech  (Fagus  sylvatica)  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful  of 
American  forest  trees.  Unlike  most  of  the  others,  its  bark  is 
smooth,  without  fissures,  and  often  of  a  silvery  hue.  Large 
beech  trees  standing  by  the  path,  or  near  a  cross  road,  are  often 
seen  covered  with  names,  initials,  and  dates.  Even  the  Indian 
often  takes  advantage  of  the  bark  of  a  beech  tree  to  signalise 
his  presence  to  his  friends,  or  commemorate  some  savage  exploit. 
Indeed,  the  beautiful  column-like  trunk  seems  to  invite  the  knife, 
and  many  a  souvenir  is  carved  upon  it  by  the  loitering  wayfarer. 
It  does  not,  however,  invite  the  axe  of  the  settler.  On  the  con 
trary,  the  beechen  woods  often  remain  untouched,  while  others 
fall  around  them — partly  because  these  trees  are  not  unusually 
the  indices  of  the  richest  soil,  but  more  from  the  fact  that  clear 
ing  a  piece  of  beech  forest  is  no  easy  matter.  The  green  logs 
do  not  burn  so  readily  as  those  of  the  oak,  the  elm,  the  maple, 
or  poplar,  and  hence  the  necessity  of  "rolling"  them  off  the 
ground  to  be  cleared — a  serious  thing  where  labour  is  scarce 
and  dear. 

We  were  riding  silently  along  when  all  at  once  our  ears  were 
assailed  by  a  strange  noise.  It  resembled  the  clapping  of  a 
thousand  pairs  of  hands,  followed  by  a  whistling  sound,  as  if  a 
strong  wind  had  set  suddenly  in  among  the  trees.  We  all  knew 
well  enough  what  it  meant,  and  the  simultaneous  cry  of 
"pigeons,"  was  followed  by  half  a  dozen  simultaneous  cracks 
from  the  guns  of  the  party,  and  several  bluish  birds  fell  to  the 
ground.  We  had  stumbled  upon  a  feeding-place  of  the  passen 
ger-pigeon  (  Columba  migratoria). 

Our  route  was  immediately  abandoned,  and  in  a  few  minutes 
we  were  in  the  thick  of  the  flock  cracking  away  at  them  -both 
with  shot-gun  and  rifle.  It  was  not  so  easy,  however,  to  bring 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEONS.  43 

them  down  in  any  considerable  numbers.  In  following  them  up 
we  soon  strayed  from  each  other,  until  our  party  was  completely 
scattered,  and  nearly  two  hours  elapsed  before  we  got  back  to 
the  road.  Our  game-bag,  however,  made  a  fine  show,  and  about 
forty  brace  were  deposited  in  the  waggon.  With  the  anticipa 
tion  of  roast  pigeon  and  "  pot  pie,"  we  rode  on  more  cheerily  to 
our  night  camp.  All  along  the  route  the  pigeons  were  seen,  and 
occasionally  large  flocks  whirled  over  our  heads  under  the 
canopy  of  the  trees.  Satiated  with  the  sport,  and  not  caring  to 
waste  our  ammunition,  we  did  not  heed  them  farther. 

In  order  to  give  Lanty  due  time  for  the  duties  of  the  cuisine, 
we  halted  a  little  earlier  than  usual.  Our  day's  march  had  been 
a  short  one,  but  the  excitement  and  sport  of  the  pigeon-hunt 
repaid  us  for  the  loss  of  time.  Our  dinner-supper — for  it  was  a 
combination  of  both — was  the  dish  known  in  America  as 
"  pot  pie,"  in  which  the  principal  ingredients  were  the  pigeons, 
some  soft  flour  paste,  with  a  few  slices  of  bacon  to^give  it  a 
flavour.  Properly  speaking,  the  "  pot  pie  "  is  not  a  pie,  but  a 
stew.  Ours  was  excellent,  and  as  our  appetites  were  in  a  similar 
condition,  a  goodly  quantity  was  used  up  in  appeasing  them. 

Of  course  the  conversation  of  the  evening  was  the  "wild 
pigeon  of  America,"  and  the  following  facts  regarding  its  natu 
ral  history — although  many  of  them  are  by  no  means  new — may 
prove  interesting  to  the  reader,  as  they  did  to  those  who  listen 
ed  to  the  relation  of  them  around  our  camp  fire. 

The  "  passenger "  is  less  in  size  than  the  house  pigeon.  In 
the  air  it  looks  not  unlike  the  kite,  wanting  the  forked  or  "  swal 
low  "  tail.  That  of  the  pigeon  is  cuneiform.  Its  colour  is  best 
described  by  calling  it  a  nearly  uniform  slate.  In  the  male  the 
colours  are  deeper,  and  the  neck-feathers  present  the  same 
changeable  hues  of  green,  gold,  and  purple-crimson,  generally 
observe.d  in  birds  of  this  species.  It  is  only  in  the  woods,  and 
when  freshly  caught  or  killed,  that  these  brilliant  tints  can  be 
seen  to  perfection.  They  fade  in  captivity,  and  immediately  after 


44 


the  bird  has  been  shot.  They  seem  to  form  part  of  its  life  ana 
liberty,  and  disappear  when  it  is  robbed  of  either.  I  have  often, 
thrust  the  wild  pigeon,  freshly  killed,  into  my  game-bag,  glit 
tering  like  an  opal.  I  have  drawn  it  forth  a  few  hours  after  of 
a  dull  leaden  hue,  and  altogether  unlike  the  same  bird. 

As  with  all  birds  of  this  tribe,  the  female  is  inferior  to  the 
male,  both  in  size  and  plumage.  The  eye  is  less  vivid.  In  the 
male  it  is  of  the  most  brilliant  fiery  orange,  inclosed  in  a  well- 
defined  circle  of  red.  The  eye  is  in  truth  its  finest  feature,  and 
never  fails  to  strike  the  beholder  with  admiration. 

The  most  singular  fact  in  the  natural  history  of  the  "  passen 
ger,"  is  their  countless  numbers.  Audubon  saw  a  flock  that 
contained  "  one  billion  one  hundred  and  sixteen  millions  of 
birds  !"  Wilson  counted,  or  rather  computed  another  flock  of 
*'two  thousand  two  hundred  and  thirty  millions!"  These  num 
bers  seem  incredible.  I  have  no  doubt  of  their  truth.  I  have 
no  doubt  that  they  are  under  rather  than  over  the  numbers 
actually  seen  by  both  these  naturalists,  for  both  made  most 
liberal  allowances  in  their  calculations. 

Where  do  these  immense  flocks  come  from  ? 

The  wild  pigeons  breed  in  all  parts  of  America.  Their  breed 
ing-places  are  found  as  far  north  as  the  Hudson's  Bay,  and  they 
have  been  seen  in  the  southern  forests  of  Louisiana  and  Texas. 
The  nests  are  built  upon  high  trees,  and  resemble  immense  rook 
eries.  In  Kentucky,  one  of  their  breeding  places  was  forty  miles 
iu  length,  by  several  in  breadth  !  One  hundred  nests  will  often 
be  found  upon  a  single  tree,  and  in  each  nest  there  is  but  one 
"  squab."  The  eggs  are  pure  white,  like  those  of  the  common 
kind,  and,  like  them,  they  breed  several  times  during  the  year 
but  principally  when  food  is  plenty.  They  establish  themselves 
in  great  "  roosts,"  sometimes  for  years  together,  to  which  each 
night  they  return  from  their  distant  excursions — hundreds  of 
miles,  perhaps  ;  for  this  is  but  a  short  fly  for  travellers  who  can 
pass  over  a  mile  in  a  single  minute,  and  some  of  whom  have  even 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEONS.  45 

strayed  across  the  Atlantic  to  England  !  They,  however,  as  I 
myself  have  observed,  remain  in  the  same  woods  where  they 
have  been  feeding  for  several  days  together.  I  have  also 
noticed  that  they  prefer  roosting  in  the  low  underwood,  even 
when  tall  trees  are  close  at  hand.  If  near  water,  or  hanging 
over  a  stream,  the  place  is  still  more  to  their  liking  ;  and  in 
the  morning  they  may  be  seen  alighting  on  the  bank  to  drink, 
before  taking  to  their  daily  occupation. 

The  great  "  roosts  n  and  breeding-places  are  favourite  resorts 
for  numerous  birds  of  prey.  The  small  vultures  ( Cathartes  aura, 
Atratus"),  or,  as  they  are  called  in  the  west,  "  turkey  buzzard," 
and  "  carrion  crow,"  do  not  confine  themselves  to  carrion  alone. 
They  are  fond  of  live  "  squabs,"  which  they  drag  out  of  their 
nests  at  pleasure.  Numerous  hawks  and  kites  prey  upon  them  ; 
and  even  the  great  white-headed  eagle  ( Falco  leucocephalus)  may 
be  seen  soaring  above,  and  occasionally  swooping  down  for  a 
dainty  morsel.  On  the  ground  beneath  move  enemies  of  a  differ 
ent  kind,  both  biped  and  quadruped.  Fowlers  with  their  guns  and 
long  poles  ;  farmers  with  waggons  to  carry  off  the  dead  birds  ; 
and  even  droves  of  hogs  to  devour  them.  Trees  fall  under  the 
axe,  and  huge  branches  break  down  by  the  weight  of  the  birds 
themselves,  killing  numbers  in  their  descent.  Torches  are  used — 
for  it  is  usually  a  night  scene,  after  the  return  of  the  birds  from 
feeding, — pots  of  burning  sulphur,  and  other  engines  of  destruc 
tion.  A  noisy  scene  it  is.  The  clapping  of  a  million  pair  of 
wings,  like  the  roaring  of  thunder  ;  the  shots  ;  the  shouts  ; 
men  hoarsely  calling  to  each  other ;  women  and  children  scream 
ing  their  delight ;  the  barking  of  dogs  ;  the  neighing  of  horses  ; 
the  "crash"  of  breaking  branches  ;  and  the  "chuck"  of  the 
woodman's  axe,  all  mingled  together. 

When  the  men — satiated  with  slaughter,  and  white  with 
ordure — have  retired  beyond  the  borders  of  the  roost  to  rest 
themselves  for  the  night,  their  ground  is  occupied  by  the  prowl- 


46  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

ing  wolf  and  the  fox  ;  the  racoon  and  the  cougar  ;  the  lynx  and 
the  great  black  bear. 

With  so  many  enemies,  one  would  think  that  the  "passengers" 
would  soon  be  exterminated.  Not  so.  They  are  too  prolific  for 
that.  Indeed,  were  it  not  for  these  enemies,  they  themselves 
would  perish  for  want  of  food.  Fancy  what  it  takes  to  feed 
them  !  The  flock  seen  by  Wilson  would  require  eighteen  mil 
lion  bushels  of  grain  every  day! — and  it,  most  likely,  was  only 
one  of  many  such  that  at  the  time  were  traversing  the  vast  con 
tinent  of  America.  Upon  what  do  they  feed  ?  it  will  be  asked. 
Upon  the  fruits  of  the  great  forest — upon  the  acorns,  the  nuts 
of  the  beech,  upon  buck-wheat,  and  Indian  corn  ;  upon  many 
species  of  berries,  such  as  the  huckleberry  (whortleberry),  the 
hackberry  (Celtis  crassifolia),  and  the  fruit  of  the  holly.  In  the 
northern  regions,  where  these  are  scarce,  the  berries*of  the  juni 
per  tree  (Juniperus  communis)  form  the  principle  food.  On  the 
other  hand,  among  the  southern  plantations,  they  devour  greedily 
the  rice,  as  well  as  the  nuts  of  the  chestnut-tree  and  several  spe 
cies  of  oaks.  But  their  staple  food  is  the  beechnut,  or  "  mast" 
as  it  is  called.  Of  this  the  pigeons  are  fond,  and  fortunately  it 
exists  in  great  plenty.  In  the  forests  of  Western  America  there 
are  vast  tracts  covered  almost  entirely  with  the  beech-tree. 

As  already  stated,  these  beechen  forests  of  America  remain 
almost  intact,  and  so  long  as  they  shower  down  their  millions 
of  bushels  of  "  mast,"  so  long  will  the  passenger  pigeons  flutter 
in  countless  numbers  amidst  their  branches. 

Their  migration  is  semi-annual ;  but  unlike  most  other  migra 
tory  birds,  it  is  far  from  being  regular.  The  flight  is,  in  fact, 
not  a  periodical  migration,  but  a  sort  of  nomadic  existence — 
food  being  the  object  which  keeps  them  in  motion  and  directs 
their  course.  The  scarcity  in  one  part  determines  their  move 
ment  to  another.  When  there  is  more  than  the  usual  fall  of 
snow  in  the  northern  regions,  vast  flocks  make  their  appearance 


THE    PASSENGER    PIGEONS.  47 

in  the  middle  States,  as  in  Ohio  and  Kentucky.  This  may  in 
some  measure  account  for  the  overcrowded  "  roosts  "  which  have 
been  occasionally  seen,  but  which  are  by  no  means  common. 
You  may  live  in  the  west  for  many  years  without  witnessing  a 
scene  such  as  those  described  by  Wilson  and  Audubon,  though 
once  or  twice  every  year  you  may  see  pigeons  enough  to 
astonish  you. 

It  must  not  be  imagined  that  the  wild  pigeons  of  America  are 
so  "  tame "  as  they  are  sometimes  represented.  That  is  their 
character  only  while  young  at  the  breeding-places,  or  at  the 
great  roosts  when  confused  by  crowding  upon  each  other,  and 
mystified  by  torchlight. 

Far  different  are  they  when  wandering  through  the  open 
woods  in  search  of  food.  It  is  then  both  difficult  to  approach 
and  hard  to  kill  them.  Odd  birds  you  may  easily  reach ;  you 
may  see  them  perched  upon  the  branches  on  all  sides  of  you,  and 
within  shot-range ;  but  the  thick  of  the  flock,  somehow  or  other, 
always  keeps  from  one  to  two  hundred  yards  off.  The  sports 
man  cannot  bring  himself  to  fire  at  single  birds.  No.  There  is 
a  tree  near  at  hand  literally  black  with  pigeons.  Its  branches 
creak  under  the  weight.  What  a  fine  havoc  he  will  make  if  he 
can  but  get  near  enough !  But  that  is  the  difficulty  ;  there  is 
no  cover,  and  he  must  approach  as  he  best  can  without  it.  He 
continues  to  advance;  the  birds  sit  silent,  watching  his  move 
ments.  He  treads  lightly  and  with  caution ;  he  inwardly  ana 
thematises  the  dead  leaves  and  twigs  that  make  a  loud  rustling 
under  his  feet.  The  birds  appear  restless ;  several  stretch  out 
their  necks  as  if  to  spring  off. 

At  length  he  deems  himself  fairly  within  range,  and  raises  his 
gun  to  take  aim  ;  but  this  is  a  signal  for  the  shy  game,  and  before 
he  can  draw  trigger  they  are  off  to  another  tree ! 

Some  stragglers  still  remain  ;  and  at  them  he  levels  his  piece 
and  fires.  The  shot  is  a  random  one ;  for  our  sportsman,  hav 
ing  failed  to  "cover"  the  flock,  has  become  irritated  and  care- 


48  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

less,  and  in  all  such  cases  the  pigeons  fly  off  with  the  loss  of  a 
few  feathers. 

The  gun  is  reloaded,  and  our  amateur  hunter,  seeing  the  thick 
flock  upon  another  tree,  again  endeavours  to  approach  it,  but 
with  like  success. 


CHAPTER  V. 

HUNT    WITH    A    HOWITZER. 

WHEN  the  conversation  about  the  haunts  and  habits  of  these 
birds  began  to  flag,  some  one  called  for  a  "  pigeon  story."  Who 
could  tell  a  pigeon  story  ?  To  our  surprise  the  doctor  volun 
teered  one,  and  all  gathered  round  to  listen. 

u  Yes,  gentlemen,"  began  the  doctor, "  I  have  a  pigeon  adven 
ture,  which  occurred  to  me  some  years  ago.  I  was  then  living 
in  Cincinnati,  following  my  respectable  calling,  when  I  had  the 
good  fortune  to  set  a  broken  leg  for  one  Colonel  P ,  a  weal 
thy  planter  who  lived  upon  the  bank  of  the  river  some  sixty 
miles  from  the  city.  I  made  a  handsome  set  of  it,  and  won  the 
colonel's  friendship  for  ever.  Shortly  after,  I  was  invited  to  his 
house,  to  be  present  at  the  great  pigeon-hunt  which  was  to  come 
off  in  the  fall.  The  colonel's  plantation  stood  among  beech 
woods,  and  he  had  therefore  an  annual  visitation  of  the  pigeons^ 
and  could  tell  almost  to  a  day  when  they  would  appear.  The 
hunt  he  had  arranged  for  the  gratification  of  his  numerous 
friends. 

"As  you  all  know,  gentlemen,  sixty  miles  in  our  western 
travel  is  a  mere  bagatelle ;  and  tired  of  pills  and  prescriptions^ 
I  flung  myself  into  a  boat,  and  in  a  few  hours  arrived  at  the 
colonel's  stately  home.  A  word  or  two  about  this  stately  home 
and  its  proprietor. 


HUNT    WITH    A    HOWITZER.  49 

"  Colonel  P was  a  splendid  specimen  of  a  back-woods' 

gentleman — you  will  admit  there  are  gentlemen  in  the  back 
woods."  (Here  the  doctor  glanced  goodhumouredly,  first  at 
our  English  friend  Thompson,  and  then  at  the  Kentuckian,  both 
of  whom  answered  him  with' a  laugh.)  "His  house  was  the 
type  of  a  backwoods  mansion  ;  a  wooden  structure,  both  walls 
and  roof.  No  matter.  It  has  distributed  as  much  hospitality  in 
its  time  as  many  a  marble  palace  ;  that  was  one  of  its  back 
woods  characteristics.  It  stood,  and  I  hope  still  stands,  on  the 
north  bank  of  the  Ohio — that  beautiful  stream — '  La  Idle  riviere? 
as  the  French  colonists,  and  before  their  time  the  Indians,  used 
to  call  it.  It  was  in  the  midst  of  the  woods,  though  around  it 
were  a  thousand  acres  of  '  clearing/  where  you  might  distinguish 
fields  of  golden  wheat,  and  groves  of  shining  maize  plants  waving- 
aloft  their  yellow-flower  tassels-.  You  might  note,  too;  the 
broad  green  leaf  of  the  Nicotian  *  weed,'  or  the  bursting  pod  of 
the  snow-white  cotton.  In  the  garden  you  might  observe  the 
sweet  potato,  the  common  one,  the  refreshing  tomato,  the  huge 
water-melon,  cantelopes,  and  musk  melons,  with  many  other 
delicious  vegetables.  You  could  see  pods  of  red  and  green  pep 
per  growing  upon  trailing  plants  ;  and  beside  them  several 
species  of  peas  and  beans — all  valuable  for  the  colonel's  cuisine. 
There  was  an  orchard,  too,  of  several  acres  in  extent.  It  was 
filled  with  fruit-trees,  the  finest  peaches  in  the  world,  and  the 
finest  apples — the  Newton  pippins.  Besides,  there  were  luscious 
pears  and  plums,  and  upon  the  espaliers,  vines  bearing  bushels 

of  sweet  grapes.     If  Colonel  P lived  in  the  woods,  it  cannot 

be  said  that  he  was  surrounded  by  a  desert. 

"  There  were  several  substantial  log-houses  near  the  main 
building  or  mansion.  They  were  the  stable — and  good  horses 
there  were  in  that  stable  ;  the  cow-house,  for  milk  cattle  ;  the 
barn,  to  hold  the  wheat  and  maize-corn  ;  the  smoke-house,  for 
curing  bacon  ;  a  large  building  for  the  dry  tobacco  ;  a  cotton- 
gin,  with  its  shed  of  clap-boards  ;  bins  for  the  husk  fodder,  and 

3 


50  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

several  smaller  structures.  In  one  corner  you  saw  a  low-walled 
erection  that  reminded  you  of  a  kennel,  and  the  rich  music  that 
from  time  to  time  issued  from  its  apertures  would  convince  you 
that  it  was  a  kennel.  If  you  had  peeped  into  it,  you  would 
have  seen  a  dozen  of  as  fine  stag-hounds  as  ever  lifted  a  trail. 
The  colonel  was  somewhat  partial  to  these  pets,  for  he  was  a 
'  mighty  hunter.'  You  might  see  a  number  of  young  colts  in  an 
adjoining  lot  ;  a  pet-deer,  a  buffalo-calf,  that  had  been  brought 
from  the  far  prairies,  pea-fowl,  guinea-hens,  turkeys,  geese, 
ducks,  and  the  usual  proportion  of  common  fowls.  Rail-fences, 
zigzagged  off  in  all  directions  towards  the  edge  of  the  woods. 
Huge  trees,  dead  and  divested  of  their  leaves,  stood  up  in  the 
cleared  fields.  Turkey-buzzards  and  carrion-crows  might  be 
seen  perched  upon  their  grey  naked  limbs  ;  upon  their  summit 
you  might  observe  the  great  rough-legged  falcon  ;  and  above 
all,  cutting  sharply  against  the  blue  sky,  the  fork-tailed  kite 
sailing  gently  about." 

Here  the  doctor's  auditory  interrupted  him  with  a  murmur 
of  applause.  The  doctor  was  in  fine  spirits,  and  in  a  poetical 
mood.  He  continued. 

"  Such,  gentlemen,  was  the  sort  of  place  I  had  come  to  visit ; 
and  I  saw  at  a  glance  that  I  could  spend  a  few  days  there  plea 
santly  enough — even  without  the  additional  attractions  of  a 
pigeon-hunt. 

"  On  my  arrival  I  found  the  party  assembled.  It  consisted 
of  a  score  and  a  half  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  nearly  all  young 
people.  The  pigeons  had  not  yet  made  their  appearance,  but 
were  looked  for  every  hour.  The  woods  had  assumed  the 
gorgeous  tints  of  autumn,  that  loveliest  of  seasons  in  the  'far 
west.'  Already  the  ripe  nuts  and  berries  were  scattered  pro 
fusely  over  the  earth,  offering  their  annual  banquet  to  God's 
wild  creatures.  The  '  mast'  of  the  beech-tree,  of  which  the  wild 
pigeon  is  so  fond,  was  showering  down  among  the  dead  leaves. 
It  was  the  very  season  at  which  the  birds  were  accustomed  to 


HUNT    WITH    A   HOWITZER.  51 

visit  the  beechen  woods  that  girdled  the  colonel's  plantation. 
They  would  no  doubt  soon  appear.  With  this  expectation 
everything  was  made  ready  ;  each  of  the  gentlemen  was  pro 
vided  with  a  fowling-piece,  or  rifle  if  he  preferred  it  ;  and  even 
some  of  the  ladies  insisted  upon  being  armed. 

"  To  render  the  sport  more  exciting,  our  host  had  established 
certain  regulations.  They  were  as  follows  : — The  gentlemen 
were  divided  into  two  parties,  of  equal  numbers.  These  were 
to  go  in  opposite  directions,  the  ladies  upon  the  first  day  of  the 
hunt  accompanying  whichever  they  chose.  Upon  all  succeeding 
days,  however,  the  case  would  be  different.  The  ladies  were 
to  accompany  that  party  which  upon  the  day  previous  had 
bagged  the  greatest  number  of  birds.  The  victorious  gentle 
men,  moreover,  were  endowed  with  other  privileges,  which 
lasted  throughout  the  evening  ;  such  as  the  choice  of  partners 
for  the  dinner-table  and  the  dance. 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  gentlemen,  that  in  these  conditions 
existed  powerful  motives  for  exertion.  The  colonel's  guests 
were  the  elite  of  western  society.  Most  of  the  gentlemen  were 
young  men  or  bachelors  ;  and  among  the  ladies  there  were 
belles ;  three  or  four  'of  them  rich  and  beautiful.  On  my  arri 
val  I  could  perceive  signs  of  incipient  flirtations.  Attachments 
had  already  arisen  ;  and  by  many  it  would  have  been  esteemed 
anything  but  pleasant  to  be  separated  in  the  manner  prescribed. 
A  strong  esprit  du  corps  was  thus  established  ;  and,  by  the  time 
the  pigeons  arrived,  both  parties  had  determined  to  do  their 
utmost.  In  fact,  I  had  never  known  so  strong  a  feeling  of 
rivalry  to  exist  between  two  parties  of  amateur  sportsmen. 

'.'  The  pigeons  at  length  arrived.  It  was  a  bright  sunny 
morning,  and  yet  the  atmosphere  was  darkened,  as  the  vast 
flock,  a  mile  in  breadth  by  several  in  length,  passed  across  the 
canopy.  The  sound  of  their  wings  resembled  a  strong  wind 
whistling  among  tree- tops,  or  through  the  rigging  of  a  ship 


52  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

We  saw  that  they  hovered  over  the  woods,  and  settled  among 
the  tall  beeches. 

"  The  beginning  of  the  hunt  was  announced,  and  we  set  forth, 
each  party  taking  the  direction  allotted  to  it.  With  each  went 
a  number  of  ladies,  and  even  some  of  these  were  armed  with 
light  fowling-pieces,  determined  that  the  party  of  their  choice 
should  be  the  victorious  one.  After  a  short  ride,  we  found  our 
selves  fairly  '  in  the  woods,'  and  in  the  presence  of  the  birds, 
and  then  the  cracking  commenced. 

"  In  our  party  we  had  eight  guns,  exclusive  of  the  small  fowl 
ing-pieces  (two  of  these),  with  which  a  brace  of  our  heroines 
were  armed,  and  which,  truth  compels  me  to  confess,  were  less 
dangerous  to  the  pigeons  than  to  ourselves.  Some  of  our  guns 
were  double-barrelled  shot-guns,  others  were  rifles.  You  will 
wonder  at  rifles  being  used  in  such  a  sport,  and  yet  it  is  a  fact 
that  the  gentlemen  who  carried  rifles  managed  to  do  more  exe 
cution  than  those  who  were  armed  with  the  other  species.  This 
arose  from  the  circumstance  that  they  were  contented  to  aim  at 
single  birds,  and,  being  good  shots,  they  were  almost  sure  to 
bring  these  down.  The  woods  were  filled  with  straggling 
pigeons.  Odd  birds  were  always  within  rifle  range  ;  and  thus, 
instead  of  wasting  their  time  in  endeavouring  to  approach  the 
great  flocks,  our  riflemen  did  nothing  but  load  and  fire.  In  this 
way  they  soon  counted  their  game  by  dozens. 

"  Early  in  the  evening,  the  pigeons,  having  filled  their  crops 
with  the  mast,  disappeared.  They  flew  off  to  some  distant 
'  roost.'  This  of  course  concluded  our  sport  for  the  day.  We 
got*  together  and  counted  our  numbers.  We  had  640  birds. 
We  returned  home  full  of  hope  ;  we  felt  certain  that  we  had 
won  "for  that  day.  Our  antagonists  had  arrived  before  us. 
They  showed  us  726  dead  pigeons.  We  were  beaten. 

"  I  really  cannot  explain  the  chagrin  which  this  defeat  occa 
sioned  to  most  of  our  party.  They  felt  humiliated  in  the  eyes 


HUNT   WITH    A    HOWITZER.  53 

of  the  ladies,  whose  company  they  were  to  lose  on  the  morrow. 
To  some  there  was  extreme  bitterness  in  the  idea  •  for,  as  I 
have  already  stated,  attachments  had  sprung  up,  and  jealous 
thoughts  were  naturally  their  concomitants.  It  was  quite  tan 
talising,  as  we  parted  next  morning,  to  see  the  galaxy  of  lovely 
women  ride  off  with  our  antagonists,  while  we  sought  the  woods 
in  the  opposite  direction,  dispirited  and  in  silence. 

11  We  went,  however,  determined  to  do  our  best,  and  win  the 
ladies  for  the  morrow.  A  council  was  held,  and  each  imparted 
his  advice  and  encouragement  ;  and  then  we  all  set  to  work 
with  shot-gun  and  rifle. 

"On  this  day  an  incident  occurred  that  aided  our  'count' 
materially.  As  you  know,  gentlemen,  the  wild  pigeons,  while 
feeding,  sometimes  cover  the  ground  so  thickly  that  they  crowd 
upon  each  other.  They  all  advance  in  the  same  direction,  those 
behind  continually  rising  up  and  fluttering  to  the  front,  so  that 
the  surface  presents  a  series  of  undulations  like  sea-waves.  Fre 
quently  the  birds  light  upon  each  other's  backs,  for  want  of 
room  upon  the  ground,  and  a  confused  mass  of  winged  creatures 
is  seen  rolling  through  the  woods.  At  such  times,  if  the  sports 
man  can  only  '  head '  the  flock,  he  is  sure  of  a  good  shot. 
Almost  every  pellet  tells,  and  dozens  may  be  brought  down  at 
a  single  discharge.  ..y 

"  In  my  progress  through  the  wood,  I  had  got  separated 
from  my  companions,  when  I  observed  an  immense  flock 
approaching  me  after  the  manner  described.  I  saw  from  their 
plumage  that  they  were  young  birds,  and  therefore  not  likely  t<t 
be  easily  alarmed.  I  drew  my  horse  (I  was  mounted)  behind  a 
tree,  and  awaited  their  approach.  This  I  did  more  from 
curiosity  than  any  other  motive,  as,  unfortunately,  I  carried  a 
rifle,  and  could  only  have  killed  one  or  two  at  the  best.  The 
crowd  came  'swirling'  forward,  and  when  they  were  within 
some  ten  or  fifteen  paces  distant,  I  fired  into  their  midst.  To 
my  surprise,  the  flock  did  not  take  flight,  but  continued  to 


54  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

advance  as  before,  until  they  were  almost  among  'the  horse's 
feet.  I  could  stand  it  no  longer.  I  drove  the  spurs  deeply, 
and  galloped  into  their  midst,  striking  right  and  left  as  they 
fluttered  up  round  me.  Of  course  they  were  soon  off  ;  but  of 
those  that  had  been  trodden  upon  by  my  horse,  and  others  I 
had  knocked  down,  I  counted  no  less  than  twenty-seven  ! 
Proud  of  my  exploit,  I  gathered  the  birds  into  my  bag,  and 
rode  in  search  of  my  companions. 

"  Our  party  on  this  day  numbered  over  800  head  killed  ;  but, 
to  our  surprise  and  chagrin,  our  antagonists  had  beaten  us  by 
more  than  a  hundred  ! 

"The  gentlemen  of  'ours7  were  wretched.  The  belles  were 
monopolised  by  our  antagonists  ;  we  were  scouted,  and  debarred 
every  privilege. 

"It  was  not  to  be  endured  ;  something  must  be  done.  What 
was  to  be  done  ?  counselled  we.  If  fair  means  will  not  answer, 
we  must  try  the  opposite.  It  was  evident  that  our  antagonists 
were  better  shots  than  we. 

"  The  colonel,  too,  was  one  of  them,  and  he  was  sure  to  kill 
every  time  he  pulled  trigger.  The  odds  were  against  us  ;  some 
plan  must  be  devised  ;  some  ruse  must  be  adopted,  and  the  idea 
of  one  had  been  passing  through  my  mind  during  the  whole  of 
that  day.  It  was  this  : — I  had  noticed,  what  has  been  just 
remarked,  that,  although  the  pigeons  will  not  allow  the  sports 
man  to  come  within  range  of  a  fowling-piece,  yet  at  a  distance 
of  little  over  a  hundred  yards  they  neither  fear  man  nor  beast. 
At  that  distance  they  sit  unconcerned,  thousands  of  them  upon 
a  single  tree.  It  struck  me  that  a  gun  large  enough  to  throw 
shot  among  them  would  be  certain  of  killing  hundreds  at  each 
discharge  :  but  where  was  such  a  gun  to  be  had  ?  As  I 
reflected  thus,  'mountain  howitzers'  came  into  my  mind.  I 
remembered  the  small  mountain  howitzers  I  had  seen  at  Coving- 
ton.  One  of  these  loaded  with  shot  would  be  the  very  weapon. 
I  knew  there  was  a  battery  of  them  at  the  Barracks.  I  knew 


HUNT    WITH    A    HOWITZER.  55 

that  a  friend  of  mine  commanded  the  battery.  By  steamer, 
should  one  pass,  it  was  but  a  few  hours  to  Covington.  I  pro 
posed  sending  for  a  '  mountain  howitzer.7 

"  I  need  hardly  say  that  my  proposal  was  hailed  with  a 
universal  welcome  on  the  part  of  my  companions  ;  and  without 
dropping  a  hint  to  the  other  party,  it  was  at  once  resolved  that 
the  design  should  be  carried  into  execution.  It  was  carried  into 
execution.  An  '  up-river  '  boat  chanced  to  pass  in  the  nick  of 
time.  A  messenger  was  forthwith  despatched  to  Covington, 
and  before  twelve  o'clock  upon  the  following  day  another  boat 
on  her  down  trip  brought  the  howitzer,  and  we  had  it  secretly 
landed  and  conveyed  to  a  place  in  the  woods  previously  agreed 

upon.  My  friend,  Captain  C ,  had  sent  a  *  live  corporal ' 

along  with  it,  and  we  had  no  difficulty  in  its  management. 

"  As  I  had  anticipated,  it  answered  our  purpose  as  though  it 
had  been  made  for  it.  Every  shot  brought  down  a  shower  of 
dead  birds,  and  after  one  discharge  alone  the  number  obtained 
was  123  !  At  night  our  '  game-bag '  counted  three  thousand 
birds  !  We  were  sure  of  the  ladies  for  the  morrow. 

"  Before  returning  home  to  our  certain  triumph,  however, 
there  were  some  considerations.  To-morrow  we  should  have 
the  ladies  in  our  company  ;  some  of  the  fair  creatures  would  be 
as  good  as  sure  to  '  split ;  upon  the  howitzer.  What  was  to  be 
done  to  prevent  this  ? 

"  We  eight  had  sworn  to  be  staunch  to  each  other.  We  had 
taken  every  precaution  ;  we  had  only  used  our  '  great  gun ' 
when  far  off,  so  that  its  report  might  not  reach  the  ears  of  our 
antagonists  ;  but  how  about  to-morrow  ?  Could  we  trust  our 
fair  companions  with  a  secret  ?  Decidedly  not.  This  was  the 
unanimous  conclusion.  A  new  idea  came  to  our  aid.  We  saw 
that  we  might  dispense  with  the  howitzer,  and  still  manage  to 
out-count  our  opponents.  We  would  make  a  depository  of 
birds  in  a  safe  place.  There  was  a  squatter's  house  near  by  : 
that  would  do.  So  we  took  the  squatter  into  our  council,  and 


56  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

left  some  1500  birds  in  his  charge,  the  remainder  being  deemed 
sufficient  for  that  day.  From  the  1500  thus  left,  we  might  each 
day  take  a  few  hundred  to  make  up  our  game-bag  just  enough 
to  out-number  the  other  party.  We  did  not  send  home  the 
corporal  and  his  howitzer.  We  might  require  him  again  :  so 
we  quartered  him  upon  the  squatter. 

"  On  returning  home,  we  found  that  our  opponents  had  also 
made  a  '  big  day's  work  of  it  ;'  but  they  were  beaten  by  hun 
dreds.  The  ladies  were  ours  I 

"  And  we  kept  them  until  the  end  of  the  hunt,  to  the  no 
little  mortification  of  the  gentlemen  in  the  '  minority  :'  to  their 
surprise  as  well  ;  for  most  of  them  being  crack-shots,  and 
several  of  us  not  at  all  so,  they  could  not  comprehend  why  they 
were  every  day  beaten  so  outrageously.  We  had  hundreds  to 
spare,  and  barrels  of  the  birds  were  cured  for  winter  use. 

"  Another  thing  quite  puzzled  our  opponents,  as  well  as  many 
good  people  in  the  neighbourhood.  That  was  the  loud  reports 
that  had  been  heard  in  the  woods.  Some  argued  they  were' 
thunder,  while  others  declared  they  must  have  proceeded  from 
an  earthquake.  This  last  seemed  the  -  most  probable,  as  the 
events  I  am  narrating  occurred  but  a  few  years  after  the  great 
earthquake  in  the  Mississippi  Valley,  and  the  people's  minds 
were  prepared  for  such  a  thing. 

"  I  need  not  tell  you  how  the  knowing  ones  enjoyed  the  laugh 
for  several  days,  and  it  was  not  until  the  colonel's  reunion  was 
about  to  break  up,  that  our  secret  was  let  out,  to  the  no  small 
chagrin  of  our  opponents,  but  to  the  infinite  amusement  of  our 
host  himself,  who,  although  one  of  the  defeated  party,  often 
narrates  to  his  friends  the  story  of  the  "  Hunt  with  a  How 
itzer." 


KILLING   A    COUGAR.  5t 


,_: ,  CHAPTER   YI. 

KILLING     A     COUGAR. 

ALTHOUGH  we  had  made  a  five  miles'  march  from  the  place 
where  we  had  halted  to  shoot  the  pigeons,  our  night-camp  was 
still  within  the  boundaries  of  the  flock.  During  the  night  \ve 
could  hear  them  at  intervals  at  no  great  distance  off,  A  branch 
occasionally  cracked,  and  then  a  fluttering  of  wings  told  of  thou 
sands  dislodged  or  frightened  by  its  fall.  Sometimes  the  flut 
tering  commenced  without  any  apparent  cause.  No  doubt  the 
great-horned  owl  (Strix  virginiana) ,  the  wild  cat  (Felis  rufa), 
and  the  raccoon,  were 'busy  among  them,  and  the  silent  attacks 
of  these  were  causing  the  repeated  alarms. 

Before  going  to  rest,  a  torch-hunt  was  proposed  by  way  of 
variety,  but  no  material  for  making  good  torches  could  be  found, 
and  the  idea  was  abandoned.  Torches  should  be  made  of  dry 
pine  knots,  and  carried  in  some  shallow  vessel.  The  common 
frying-pan,  with  a  long  handle,  is  best  for  the  purpose.  Link- 
torches,  unless  of  the  best  pitch-pine  (Pinus  resinosa),  do  not 
burn  with  sufficient  brightness  to  stultify  the  pigeons.  They 
will  flutter  off  before  the  hunter  can  get  his  long  pole  within 
reach,  whereas  with  a  very  brilliant  light,  he  may  approach 
almost  near  enough  to  lay  his  hands  upon  them.  As  there  were 
no  pitch-pine  trees  in  the  neighbourhood,  nor  any  good  torch- 
wood,  we  were  forced  to  give  up  the  idea  of  a  night  hunt. 

During  the  night  strange  noises  were  heard  by  several  who 
chanced  to  be  awake.  Some  said  they  resembled  the  howling 
of  dogs,  while  others  compared  them  to  the  screaming  of  angry 
cats.  One  party  said  they  were  produced  by  wolves  ;  another, 
that  the  wild  cats  (lynxes)  made  them.  But  there  was  one  that 

3* 


58  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

differed  from  all  the  rest.  It  was  a  sort  of  prolonged  hiss,  that 
all  except  Ike  believed  it  to  be  the  snort  of  the  black  bear.  Ike, 
however,  declared  that  it  was  not  the  bear,  but  the  "sniff,"  as 
he  termed  it,  of  the  " painter"  (cougar).  This  was  probable 
enough,  considering  the  nature  of  the  place.  The  cougar  is  well 
known  to  frequent  the  great  roosts  of  the  passenger-pigeon,  and 
is  fond  of  the  flesh  of  these  birds. 

In  the  morning  our  camp  was  still  surrounded  by  the  pigeons, 
sweeping  about  among  the  tree-trunks,  and  gathering  the  mast 
as  they  went.  A  few  shots  were  fired,  not  from  any  inclination 
to  continue  the  sport  of  killing  them,  but  to  lay  in  a  fresh  stock 
for  the  day's  dinner.  The  surplus  from  yesterday's  feast  was 
thrown  away,  and  left  by  the  deserted  camp — a  banquet  for  the 
preying  creatures  that  would  soon  visit  the  spot. 

We  moved  on,  still  surrounded  by  masses  upon  the  wing.  A 
singular  incident  occurred  as  we  were  passing  through  a  sort  of 
avenue  in  the  forest.  It  was  a  narrow  aisle,  on  both  sides  walled 
in  by  a  thick  foliage  of  the  beeches.  We  were  fairly  within  this 
hall-like  passage,  when  it  suddenly  darkened  at  the  opposite  end. 
We  saw  that  a  cloud  of  pigeons  had  entered  it,  flying  towards 
us.  They  were  around  our  heads  before  they  had  noticed  us. 
Seeing  our  party,  they  suddenly  attempted  to  diverge  from  their 
course,  but  there  was  no  other  open  to  them,  except  to  rise 
upward  in  a  vertical  direction.  This  they  did  on  the  instant — 
the  clatter  of  their  wings  producing  a  noise  like  the  continued 
roar  of  thunder.  Some  had  approached  so  near  that  the  men  on 
horseback,  striking  with  their  guns,  knocked  several  to  the 
ground  ;  and  the  Kentuckian  stretching  upward  his  long  arm, 
actually  caught  one  of  them  on  the  wing.  In  an  instant  they 
were  out  of  sight ;  but  at  that  instant  two  great  birds  appeared 
before  us  at  the  opening  of  tke  forest,  which  were  at  once  recog 
nized  as  a  brace  of  white-headed  eagles  (Falco  leucocepkalus) . 
This  accounted  for  the  rash  flight  of  the  pigeons  ;  for  the  eagles 
had  evidently  been  in  pursuit  of  them,  and  had  driven  them  to 


KILLING   A   COUGAR.  59 

seek  shelter  under  the  trees.  We  were  desirous  of  emptying 
our  guns  at  the  great  birds  of  prey,  and  there  was  a  simulta 
neous  spurring  of  horses  and  cocking  of  guns  :  to  no  purpose, 
however.  The  eagles  were  on  the  alert.  They  had  already 
espied  us  ;  and,  uttering  their  maniac  screams,  they  wheeled 
suddenly,  and  disappeared  over  the  tree-tops. 

We  had  hardly  recovered  from  this  pleasant  little  bit  of 
excitement,  when  the  guide  Ike,  who  rode  in  the  advance,  was 
seen  suddenly  to  jerk  up,  exclaiming, — 

"  Painter,  by  G — d  !     I  know'd  I  heerd  a  painter.'7 

"  Where  ?  where  ?"  was  hurriedly  uttered  by  several  voices, 
while  all  pressed  forward  to  the  guide. 

"  Yonder  !"  replied  Ike,  pointing  to  a  thicket  of  young 
beeches.  "  He's  tuk  to  the  brush  :  ride  round  fellers.  Mark, 
boy,  round  1  quick,  d — n  you  1" 

There  was  a  scramble  of  horsemen,  with  excited  anxious 
looks  and  gestures.  Every  one  had  his  gun  cocked  and  ready, 
and  in  a  few  seconds  the  small  copse  of  beeches,  with  their 
golden-yellow  leaves,  was  inclosed  by  a  ring  of  hunters.  Had 
the  cougar  got  away,  or  was  he  still  within  the  thicket  ? 
Several  large  trees  grew  out  of  its  midst.  Had  he  taken  to  one  ? 
The  eyes  of  the  party  were  turned  upwards.  The  fierce  creature 
was  nowhere  visible. 

It  was  impossible  to  see  into  every  part  of  the  jungle  from  the 
outside,  as  .we  sat  in  our  saddles.  The  game  might  be  crouch 
ing  among  the  grass  and  brambles.  What  was  to  be  done  ? 
We  had  no  dogs.  How  was  the  cougar  to  be  started  ?  It 
would  be  no  small  peril  to  penetrate  the  thicket  a-foot.  Who 
was  to  do  it  ? 

The  question  was  answered  by  Redwood,  who  was  now  seen 
dismounting  from  his  horse. 

"Keep  your  eyes  about  you,"  cried  he.  "I'll  make  the  var 
mint  show  if  he's  thur.  Look  sharp  then  I" 

We  saw  Redwood  enter  fearlessly,  leaving  his  horse  hitched 


60  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

over  a  branch.  We  heard  him  no  longer,  as  he  proceeded  with 
that  stealthy  silence  known  only  to  the  Indian  fighter.  We 
listened,  and  waited  in  profound  suspense.  Not  even  the  crack 
ling  of  a  branch  broke  the  stillness.  Full  five  minutes  we 
waited,  and  then  the  sharp  crack  of  a  rifle  near  the  centre  of  the 
copsewood  relieved  us.  The  next  moment  was  heard  Redwood's 
voice  crying  aloud, — 

"  Look  out  thur  !     By  G — d  I've  missed  him." 
Before  we  had  time  to  change   our  attitudes  another  rifle 
cracked,   and   another   voice  was  heard  crying   in  answer  to 
Redwood, — 

"  But  by  G— d  I  I  haint." 

"  He's  hyur,"  continued  the  voice  ;  "  dead  as  mutton.  Come 
this  way,  and  you'll  see  the  beauty." 

Ike's  voice  was  recognised,  and  we  all  galloped  to  the  spot 
where  it  proceeded  from.  At  his  feet  lay  the  body  of  the  pan 
ther  quite  dead.  There  was  a  red  spot  running  blood  between 
the  ribs,  where  Ike's  bullet  had  penetrated.  In  trying  to  escape 
from  the  thicket,  the  cougar  had  halted  a  moment,  in  a  crouch 
ing  attitude,  directly  before  Ike's  face,  and  that  moment  was 
enough  to  give  the  trapper  time  to  glance  through  his  sights,  and 
send  the  fatal  bullet. 

Of  course  the  guide  received  the  congratulations  of  all,  and 
though  he  pretended  not  to  regard  the  thing  in  the  light  of  a 
feat,  he  knew  well  that  killing  a  "  painter "  was  no  every-day 
adventure. 

The  skin  of  the  animal  was  stripped  off  in  a  trice,  and  carried 
to  the  waggon.  Such  a  trophy  is  rarely  left  in  the  woods. 

The  hunter-naturalist  performed  some  further  operations  upon 
the  body  for  the  purpose  of  examining  the  contents  of  the  sto 
mach.  These  consisted  entirely  of  the  half-digested  remains  of 
passenger-pigeons,  an  enormous  quantity  of  which  the  beast  had 
devoured  during  the  previous  night — having  captured  them  no 
dou^t  upon  the  trees. 


THE    COUGAR.  61 

This  adventure  formed  a  pleasant  theme  for  conversation 
during  the  rest  of  our  journey,  and  of  course  the  cougar  was  the 
subject.  His  habits  and  history  were  fully  discussed,  and  the 
information  elicited  is  given  below. 


CHAPTER    YII. 

THE     COUGAR. 

THE  cougar  (Felis  concolor)  is  the  only  indigenous  long-tailed 
cat  in  America  north  of  the  parallel  of  30  degrees.  The  "  wild 
cats"  so  called,  are  lynxes  with  short  tails  ;  and  of  these  there 
are  three  distinct  species.  But  there  is  only  one  true  represen 
tative  of  the  genus  Felis,  and  that  is  the  animal  in  question. 

This  has  received  many  trivial  appellations.  Among  Anglo- 
American  hunters,  it  is  called  the  panther — in  their  patois, 
"  painter."  In  most  parts  of  South  America,  as  well  as  in 
Mexico,  it  receives  the  grandiloquent  title  of  "  lion,"  (Leon), 
and  in  the  Peruvian  countries  is  called  the  "puma,"  or  "poma." 
The  absence  of  stripes,  such  as  those  of  the  tiger — or  spots,  as 
upon  the  leopard — or  rosettes,  as  upon  the  jaguar,  have  sug 
gested  the  name  of  the  naturalists,  concolor.  Discolor  was  for 
merly  in  use  ;  but  the  other  has  been  generally  adopted. 

There  are  few  wild  animals  so  regular  in  their  colour  as  the 
cougar  :  very  little  variety  has  been  observed  among  different 
specimens.  Some  naturalists  speak  of  spotted  cougars — -"that  is, 
having  spots  that  may  be  seen  in  a  certain  light.  Upon  young 
cubs,  such  markings  do  appear  ;  but  they  are  no  longer  visible 
on  the  full-grown  animal.  The  cougar  of  mature  age  is  of  a 
tawny  red  colour,  almost  uniform  over  the  whole  body,  though 
somewhat  paler  about  the  face  and  the  parts  underneath.  This 


62  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

colour  is  not  exactly  the  tawny  of  the  lion  ;  it  is  more  of  a  red 
dish  hue — nearer  to  what  is  termed  calf-colour. 

The  cougar  is  far  from  being  a  well-shaped  creature  :  it 
appears  disproportioned.  Its  back  is  long  and  hollow  ;  and  its 
tail  does  not  taper  so  gracefully  as  in  some  other  animals  of  the 
cat-kind.  Its  legs  are  short  and  stout  ;  and  although  far  from 
clumsy  in  appearance,  it  does  not  possess  the  graceful  tournure 
of  body  so  characteristic  of  some  of  its  congeners.  Though  con 
sidered  the  representative  of  the  lion  in  the  New  W orld,  its 
resemblance  to  the  royal  beast  is  but  slight ;  its  colour  seems  to 
be  the  only  title  it  has  to  such  an  honour.  For  the  rest,  it  is 
much  more  akin  to  the  tigers,  jaguars,  and  true  panthers.  Cou 
gars  are  rarely  more  than  six  feet  in  length,  including  the  tail, 
which  is  usually  about  a  third  of  that  measurement. 

The  range  of  the  animal  is  very  extensive.  It  is  known  from 
Paraguay  to  the  Great  Lakes  of  North  America.  In  no  part 
of  either  continent  is  it  to  be  seen  every  day,  because  it  is  for 
the  most  part  not  only  nocturnal  in  its  activity,  but  one  of  those 
fierce  creatures  that,  fortunately,  do  not  exist  in  large  num 
bers.  Like  others  of  the  genus,  it  is  solitary  in  its  habits,  and 
at  the  approach  of  civilization  betakes  itself  to  the  remoter 
parts  of  the  forest.  Hence  the  cougar,  although  found  in  all 
of  the  United  States,  is  a  rare  animal  everywhere,  and  seen 
only  at  long  intervals  in  the  mountain  valleys,  or  in  other  diffi 
cult  places  of  the  forest.  The  appearance  of  a  cougar  is  suffi 
cient  to  throw  any  neighbourhood  into  an  excitement  similar  to 
that  which  would  be  produced  by  the  chase  of  a  mad-dog. 

It  is  a  splendid  tree-climber.  It  can  mount  a  tree  with  the 
agility  of  a  cat  ;  and  although  so  large  an  animal,  it  climbs  by 
means  of  its  claws — not  by  hugging,  after  the  manner  of  the 
bears  arid  opossums.  While  climbing  a  tree  its  claws  can  be 
heard  crackling  along  the  bark  as  it  mounts  upward.  It  some 
times  lies  "-squatted "  along  a  horizontal  branch,  a  lower  one, 
for  the  purpose  of  springing  upon  deer,  or  such  other  animals 


THE    COUGAR.  63 

as  it  wishes  to  prey  upon.  The  ledge  of  a  cliff  is  also  a  favourite 
haunt,  and  such  are  known  among  the  hunters  as  "panther- 
ledges."  It  selects  such  a  position  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
some  watering-place,  or,  if  possible,  one  of  the  salt  or  soda 
springs  (licks)  so  numerous  in  America.  Here  it  is  more  cer 
tain  that  its  vigil  will  not  be  a  protracted  one.  Its  prey — elk, 
deer,  antelope,  or  buffalo — soon  appears  beneath,  unconscious  of 
the  dangerous  enemy  that  cowers  over  them.  When  fairly 
within  reach,  the  cougar  springs,  and  pouncing  down  upon  the 
shoulders  of  the  victim,  buries  its  claws  in  the  flesh.  The  terri 
fied  animal  starts  forward,  leaps  from  side  to  side,  dashes  into 
the  papaw  thickets,  or  breasts  the  dense  cane-break,  in  hopes  of 
brushing  off  its  relentless  rider.  All  in  vain !  Closely  clasping 
its  neck,  the  cougar  clings  on,  tearing  its  victim  in  the  throat, 
and  drinking  its  blood  thoughout  the  wild  gallop.  Faint  and 
feeble,  the  ruminant  at  length  totters  and  falls,  and  the  fierce 
destroyer  squats  itself  along  the  body,  and  finishes  its  red  repast. 
If  the  cougar  can  overcome  several  animals  at  a  time,  it  will  kill 
them  all,  although  but  the  twentieth  part  may  be  required  to 
satiate  its  hunger.  Unlike  the  lion  in  this,  even  in  repletion  it 
will  kill.  With  it,  destruction  of  life  seems  to  be  an  instinct. 
There  is  a  very  small  animal,  and  apparently  a  very  helpless 
one,  with  which  the  cougar  occasionally  quarrels,  but  often  with 
ill  success — this  is  the  Canada  porcupine.  Whether  the  cougar 
ever  succeeds  in  killing  one  of  these  creatures  is  not  known,  but 
that  it  attacks  them  is  beyond  question,  and  its  own  death  is 
often  the  result.  The  quills  of  the  Canada  porcupine  are  slightly 
barbed  at  their  extremities  ;  and  when  stuck  into  the  flesh  of  a 
living  animal,  this  arrangement  causes  them  to~penetrate  mecha 
nically  deeper  and  deeper  as  the  animal  moves.  That  the  por 
cupine  can  itself  discharge  them  to  some  distance,  is  not  true, 
but  it  is  true  that  it  can  cause  them  to  be  easily  detached  ;  and 
this  it  does  when  rashly  seized  by  any  of  the  predatory  animals. 
The  result  is,  that  these  remarkable  spines  become  fast  in  the 


64  THE  PUNTERS'  FEAST. 

tongue,  jaws,  and  lips  of  the  cougar,  or  any  other  creature 
which  may  make  an  attack  on  that  seemingly  unprotected. little 
animal.  The  fisher  (Mustella  Canadensis)  is  said  to  be  the  only 
animal  that  can  kill  the  porcupine  with  impunity.  It  fights  the 
latter  by  first  throwing  it  upon  its  back,  and  then  springing 
upon  its  upturned  belly,  where  the  spines  are  almost  entirely 
wanting. 

The  cougar  is  called  a  cowardly  animal  :  some  naturalists 
even  assert  that  it  will  not  venture  to  attack  man.  This  is,  to 
say  the  least,  a  singular  declaration,  after  the  numerous  well- 
attested  instances  in  which  men  have  been  attacked,  and  eveu 
killed  by  cougars.  There  are  many  such  in  the  history  of  early 
settlement  in  America.  To  say  that  cougars  are  cowardly  now 
when  found  in  the  United  States — to  say  they  are  stiy  of  man, 
and  will  not  attack  him,  may  be  true  enough.  Strange  if  the 
experience  of  200  years  hunting,  and  by  such  hunters  too,  did 
not  bring  them  to  that.  We  may  safely  believe,  that  if  the 
lions  of  Africa  were  placed  in  the  same  circumstances,  a  very 
similar  shyness  and  dread  of  the  upright  biped  would  soon 
exhibit  itself.  What  all  these  creatures — bears,  cougars,  lynxes, 
wolves,  and  even  alligators — are  now,  is  no  criterion  of  their 
past.  Authentic  history  proves  that  their  courage,  at  least  so 
far  as  regards  man,  has  changed  altogether  since  they  first  heard 
the  sharp  detonation  of  the  deadly  rifle.  Even  contempora 
neous  history  demonstrates  this.  In  many  parts  of  South  America, 
both  jaguar  and  cougar  attack  man,  and  numerous  are  the 
deadly  encounters  there.  In  Peru,  on  the  eastern  declivity  of 
the  Andes,  large  settlements  and  even  villages  have  been  aban 
doned  solely  on  account  of  the  perilous  proximity  of  those  fierce 
animals. 

In  the  United  States,  the  cougar  is  hunted  by  dog  and  gun. 
He  will  run  from  the  hounds,  because  he  knows  they  are  backed 
by  the  unerring  rifle  of  the  hunter  ;  but  should  one  of  the  yelp 
ing  pack  approach  too  near,  a  single  blow  of  the  cougar's  paw 


OLD    IKE'S    ADVENTURE.  65 

is  sufficient  to  stretch  him  out.  When  closely  pushed,  the  cou 
gar  takes  to  a  tree,  and,  halting  in  one  of  its  forks,  humps  his 
back,  bristles  his  hair,  looks  downwards  with  gleaming  eyes,  and 
utters  a  sound  somewhat  like  the  purring  of  a  cat,  though  far 
louder.  The  crack  of  the  hunter's  rifle  usually  puts  an  end  to 
these  demonstrations,  and  the  cougar  drops  to  the  ground  either 
dead  or  wounded.  If  only  the  latter,  a  desperate  fight  ensues 
between  him  and  the  dogs,  with  several  of  whom  he  usually 
leaves  a  mark  that  distinguishes  ^hem  for  the  rest  of  their  lives. 
The  scream  of  the  cougar  is  a  common  phrase.  It  is  not 
very  certain  that  the  creature  is  addicted  to  the  habit  of  scream 
ing,  although  noises  of  this  kind  heard  in  the  nocturnal  forests 
have  been  attributed  to  him.  Hunters,  however,  have  certainly 
never  heard  him,  and  they  believe  that  the  scream  talked  about 
proceeds  from  one  of  the  numerous  species  of  owls  that  inhabit 
the  deep  forests  of  America.  At  short  intervals,  the  cougar 
does  make  himself  heard  in  a  note  which  resembles  somewhat  a 
deep-drawn  sigh,  or  as  if  one  were  to  utter  with  an  extremely 
guttural  expression  the  syllables  "  Co-oa,"  or  "  Cougar."  Is  it 
from  that  that  he  derives  his  trivial  name  ? 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

OLD     IKEJS     ADVENTURE. 

Now  a  panther  story  was  the  natural  winding-up  of  this  day, 
and  it  had  been  already  hinted  that  old  Ike  had  "rubbed  out-'' 
several  of  these  creatures  in  his  time,  and  no  doubt  could  tell 
more  than  one  "painter"  story. 

"Wai,  strengers,"  began  he,  "it's  true  thet  this  hyur  ain't 
the  fust  painter  I've  corned  acrosst.  About  fifteen  yeern  ago  I 


66  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

moved  to  Loozyanny,  an'  thur  I  met  a  painter,  an'  a  queer  story 
it  are." 

"  Let  us  have  it,  by  all  means,"  said  several  of  the  party, 
drawing  closer  up,  and  seating  themselves  to  listen  attentively. 
We  all  knew  that  a  story  from  Ike  could  not  be  otherwise  than 
"  queer,"  and  our  curiosity  was  on  the  qui  vive. 

"  Wai,  then,"  continued  he,  "  they  have  floods  down  thur  in 
Loozyanny,  sich  as,  I  guess,  you've  never  seed  the  like  o'  in 
England."  Here  Ike  addressed  himself  especially  to  our 
English  comrade.  *'  England  ain't  big  enough  to  hev  sich 
floods.  One  o'  'm  ud  kiver  yur  hul  country,  I  hev  heern  said. 
I  won't  say  that  ar's  true,  as  I  ain't  acquainted  with  yur  jogra- 
phy.  I  know,  howsomdever,  they're  mighty  big  freshets  thur, 
as  I  hev  sailed  a  skift  more  'n  a  hundred  mile  acrosst  one  o'  'm, 
whur  thur  wan't  nothin'  to  be  seen  but  cypress  tops  peepin'  out 
o'  the  water.  The  floods,  as  ye  know,  come  every  year,  but 
them  ar  big  ones  only  oncest  in  a  while. 

"Wai,  as  I've  said, 'about  fifteen  yeern  ago,  I  located  in  the 
Red  River  bottom,  about  fifty  mile  or  tharabout  below  Nacke- 
tosh,  whur  I  built  me  a  shanty.  I  hed  left  my  wife  an'  two 
young  critters  in  Mississippi  state,  intendin'  to  go  back  for  'em 
in  the  spring  ;  so,  ye  see,  I  wur  all  alone  by  myself,  exceptin' 
my  ole  mar,  a  Collins's  axe,  an'  of  coorse  my  rifle. 

"  I  hed  finished  the  shanty  all  but  the  chinkin'  an'  the  buildin' 
o'  a  chimbly,  when  what  shed  come  on  but  one  o'  'm  tarnation 
floods.  It  wur  at  night  when  it  begun  to  make  its  appearance. 
I  wur  asleep  on  the  floor  o'  the  shanty,  an'  the  first  warnin'  I 
hed  o'  it  wur  the  feel  o'  the  water  soakin'  through  my  ole  blan 
ket.  I  hed  been  a-dreamin'  and  thort  it  wur  rainin',  an'  then 
agin  I  thort  that  I  wur  bein'  drowned  in  the  Mississippi ;  but  I 
wan't  many  seconds  awake,  till  I  guessed  what  it  wur  in  raality, 
so  I  jumped  to  my  feet  like  a  started  buck,  an'  groped  my  way 
to  the  door. 

"A  sight  that  wur  when  I  got  thur.     I  had  chirred  a  piece 


OLD   IKE'S   ADVENTURE.  6t 

o'  ground  around  the  shanty — a  kupple  o'  acres  or  better — I  hed 
left  the  stumps  a  good  three  feet  high  ;  thur  wan't  a  stump  to 
be  seen.  My  clearin',  stumps  an'  all  wur  under  water,  an'  I 
could  see  it  shinin'  among  the  trees  all  round  the  shanty. 

"  Of  coorse,  my  fust  thoughts  wur  about  my  rifle  ;  an'  I 
turned  back  into  the  shanty,  an'  laid  my  claws  upon  that  quick 
enough. 

"I  next  went  in  search  o'  my  ole  mar.  She  wan't  hard  to 
find  ;  for  if  ever  a  critter  made  a  noise,  she  did.  She  wur  tied 
to  a  tree  close  by  the  shanty,  an'  the  way  she  wur  a-squealin' 
wur  a  caution  to  cats.  I  found  her  up  to  the  belly  in  water, 
pitchin'  and  flounderin'  all  round  the  tree.  She  hed  nothin'  on 
but  the  rope  that  she  wur  hitched  by.  Both  saddle  an'  bridle 
hed  been  washed  away  ;  so  I  made  the  rope  into  a  sort  o' 
halter,  an'  mounted  her  bare-backed. 

"  Jest  then  I  begun  to  think  whur  I  wur  a-goin'.  The  hul 
country  appeared  to  be  under  water  ;  an'  the  nearest  neighbor 
I  hed,  lived  acrosst  the  parairy  ten  miles  off.  I  knew  that  his 
shanty  sot  on  high  ground,  but  how  wur  I  to  get  thur  ?  It 
wur  night  ;  I  inout  lose  my  way,  an'  ride  chuck  into  the  river. 

"  When  I  thort  o'  this,  I  concluded  it  mout  be  better  to  stay 
by  my  own  shanty  till  mornin'.  I  could  hitch  the  mar  inside  to 
keep  her  from  bein'  floated  away  ;  an'  for  meself,  I  could  climb 
on  the  roof. 

"  While  I  wur  thinkin'  on  this,  I  noticed  that  the  water  wur 
a-deepenin',  an'  it  jest  kim  into  my  head  that  it  ud  soon  be  deep 
enough  to  dround  my  ole  mar.  For  meself,  I  wan't  frightened. 
I  mout  a  clomb  a  tree,  an'  stayed  thur  till  the  flood  fell ;  but  I 
shed  a  lost  the  mar,  an'  that  critter  wur  too  valleyble  to  think 
o'  such  a  sacryfize  ;  so  I  made  up  my  mind  to  chance  crossin' 
the  parairy.  Thur  wan't  no  time  to  be  wasted  —  ne'er  a 
mhmit,  so  I  gin  the  mar  a  kick  or  two  in  the  ribs,  an'  started. 

"  I  found  the  path  out  to  the  edge  of  the  parairy  easy  enough. 
I  hed  blazed  it  when  I  first  come  to  the  place,  an'  as  the  night 


68  THE    HUNTERS'    FEAST. 

wur  not  a  very  dark  one,  I  could  see  the  blazes  as  I  passed 
atween  the  trees.  My  mar  knew  the  track  as  well  as  meself, 
an'  swaltered  through  at  a  sharp  rate,  for  she  knew,  too,  thur 
wan't  no  time  to  be  wasted.  In  five  minnites  we  kirn  out  on  the 
edge  o'  the  parairy,  an',  jest  as  I  expected,  the  hul  thing  wur 
kivered  with  water,  an'  lookin'  like  a  big  pond.  I  could  see  it 
shinin'  clur  acrosst  to  the  other  side  o'  the  opeuin'. 

"  As  luck  ud  hev  it,  I  could  jest  git  a  glimp  o'  the  trees  on 
the  fur  side  o'  the  parairy.  Thur  wur  a  big  clump  o'  cypress, 
that  I  could  see  plain  enough  ;  I  knew  this  wur  clost  to  my 
neighbor's  shanty  ;  so  I  gin  my  critter  the  switch,  an'  struck 
right  for  it. 

"  As  I  left  the  timmer,  the  mar  wur  up  to  her  hips.  Of 
coorse,  I  expected  a  good  grist  o'  heavy  wadin';  but  I  hed  no 
idee  that  the  water  wur  a-gwine  to  git  much  higher  ;  thur's 
whur  I  made  my  mistake. 

"  I  hedn't  got  more'n  a  kupple  o'  miles  out,  when  I  diskivered 
that  the  thing  wur  a-risin'  rapidly,  for  I  seed  the  mar  wur 
a-gettin'  deeper  an'  deeper. 

"  'T wan't  no  use  turnin'  back  now.  I  ud  lose  the  mar  to  a 
dead  sartinty,  if  I  didn't  make  the  high  ground  ;  so  I  spoke  to 
the  critter  to  do  her  best,  an'  keep  on.  The  poor  beest  didn't 
need  any  whippin' — she  knew  as  well's  I  did  meself  thur.  wur 
danger,  an'  she  wur  a-doin'  her  darndest,  an'  no  mistake.  Still 
the  water  riz,  an'  kep'  a-risin',  until  it  come  clur  up  to  her 
shoulders. 

"  I  begun  to  git  skeart  in  airnest.  We  wan't  more'n  half 
acrosst,  an'  I  seed  if  it  riz  much  more  we  ud  have  to  swim  for  it. 
I  wan't  far  astray  about  that.  The  minnit  arter  it  seemed  to 
deepen  suddintly,  as  if  thur  wur  a  hollow  in  the  parairy  :  I 
heerd  the  mar  give  a  loud  gourf,  an'  then  go  down,  till  I  wur  up 
to  the  waist.  She  riz  agin  the  next  minnit,  but  I  could  tell  from 
the  smooth  ridin'  that  she  wur  off  o'  the  bottom.  She  wur 
swimmin'  an'  no  mistake. 


OLD   IKE'S   ADVENTURE.  69 

"  At  fust  I  thort  o'  headin'  her  back  to  the  shanty  ;  an'  I 
drew  her  round  with  that  intent ;  but  turn  her  which  way  I 
would,  I  found  she  could  no  longer  touch  bottom. 

"  I  guess,  strengers,  I  wur  in  a  quandairy  about  then.  I  'gun 
to  think  that  both  my  own  an'  my  mar's  time  wur  come  in 
airnest,  for  I  had  no  idee  that  the  critter  could  iver  swim  to  the 
other  side,  'specially  with  me  on  her  back,  an'  purticklarly  as 
at  that  time  these  hyur  ribs  had  a  sight  more  griskin  upon  'em 
than  they  hev  now. 

"  Wai,  I  wur  about  reckinnin'  up.  I  hed  got  to  thinkin'  o' 
Mary  an'  the  childer,  and  the  old  shanty  in  Mississippi,  an'  a 
heap  o'  things  that  I  hed  left  unsettled^  an'  that  now  come  into 
my  mind  to  trouble  me.  The  mar  wur  still  plungin'  ahead  ;  but 
I  seed  she  wur  sinkin'  deeper  an'  deeper  an'  fast  loosin'  her 
strength,  an'  I  knew  she  couldn't  hold  out  much  longer. 

"  I  thort  at  this  time  that  if  I  got  off  o'  her  back,  an'  tuk 
hold  o'  the  tail,  she  mout  manage  a  leetle  better.  So  I  slipped 
backwards  over  her  hips,  an'  grupped  the  long  hair.  It  did  do 
some  good,  for  she  swum  higher  ;  but  we  got  mighty  slow 
through  the  water,  an'  I  hed  but  leetle  hopes  we  should  reach 
land. 

"  I  wur  towed  in  this  way  about  a  quarter  o'  a  mile,  when  I 
spied  somethin'  floatin'  on  the  water  a  leetle  a-head.  It  hed 
growed  considerably  darker  ;  but  thur  wur  still  light  enough  to 
show  me  that  the  thing  wur  a  log. 

"  An  idee  now  entered  my  brain-pan,  that  I  mout  save  meself 
by  takin'  to  the  log.  The.  mar  ud  then  have  a  better  chance  for 
herself  ;  an'  maybe,  when  eased  o'  draggin'  my  carcass,  that 
wur  a-keepin'  her  back  she  mout  make  footin'  somewhur.  So  I 
waited  till  she  got  a  leetle  closter  ;  an'  then,  lettin'  go  o'  her 
tail,  I  clasped  the  log,  an'  crawled  on  to  it. 

"  The  mar  swum  on,  appeerintly  'ithout  missin'  me.  I  seed 
her  disappear  through  the  darkness  ;  but  I  didn't  as  much  as 
say  good-by  to  her,  for  I  wur  afraid  that  my  voice  mout  bring 


70  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

her  bo,ck  agin',  an'  she  mout  strike  the  log  with  her  hoofs,  an' 
whammel  it  about.  So  I  lay  quite,  an'  let  her  hey  her  own 
way. 

"I  wan't  long  on  the  log  till  I  seed  it  wur  a-driftin',  for  thur 
war  a  current  in  the  water  that  set  tol'able  sharp  acrosst  the 
parairy.  I  bed  crawled  up  to  one  eend,  an'  got  stridelegs  ;  but 
as  the  log  dipped  considerable,  I  wur  still  over  the  hams  in  the 
water. 

'*  I  thort  I  mout  be  more  comfortable  towards  the  middle,  an' 
wur  about  to  pull  the  thing  more  under  me,  when  all  at  once  I 
seed  thur  wur  somethin'  clumped  up  on  t'ther  eend  o'  the  log. 

"'Twan't  very  clur  at  the  time,  for  it  had  been  a-growin' 
cloudier  ever  since  I  left  the  shanty,  but  'twar  clur  enough  to 
show  me  that  the  thing  wur  a  varmint  :  what  sort,  I  couldn't 
tell.  It  mout  be  a  bar,  an'  it  mout  not  4  but  I  had  my  suspects 
it  wur  eyther  a  bar  or  a  painter. 

"  I  wan't  left  long  in  doubt  about  the  thing's  gender.  The 
log  kep  makin'  circles  as  if  drifted,  an'  when  the  varmint  kirn 
round  into  a  different  light,  I  caught  a  glirnp  o'  its  eyes.  I 
knew  them  eyes  to  be  no  bar's  eyes  :  they  wur  painter's  eyes, 
an'  no  mistake. 

"  I  reckin,  strengers,  I  felt  very  queery  just  about  then.  I 
didn't  try  to  go  any  nearer  the  middle  o'  the  log  :  but  instead 
of  that,  I  wriggled  back  until  I  wur  right  plum  on  the  eend  of 
it,  an'  could  git  no  further. 

"  Thur  I  sot  for  a  good  long  spell  'ithout  movin'  hand  or  foot. 
I  dasen't  make  a  motion,  as  I  wur  afraid  it  mout  tempt  the 
varmint  to  attack  me. 

"  I  hed  no  weepun  but  my  knife  ;  I  hed  let  go  o'  my  rifle 
when  I  slid  from  the  mar's  back,  an'  it  hed  gone  to  the  bottom 
long  since.  I  wan't  in  any  condition  to  stand  a  tussle  with  the 
painter  nohow  ;  so  I  was  detarmined  to  let  him  alone  as  long's 
he  ud  me. 

"  Wai,  we  drifted  on  for  a  good  hour,  I  guess,  'ithout  eyther 


OLD    IKE'S    ADVENTURE.  11 

o'  us  stirriri'.  We  sot  face  to  face  ;  an'  now  an'  then  the  current 
ud  set  the  log  in  a  sort  o'  up-an'-down  motion,  an'  then  the 
painter  an'  I  kep  bow.in'  to  each  other  like  a  pair  o'  bob-sawyers. 
I  could  see  all  the  while  that  the  varmint's  eyes  wur  fixed  upon 
mine,  an'  I  never  tuk  mine  from  hisn  ;  I  kuow'd  ?twur  the  only 
way  to  keep  him  still. 

"  I  wur  jest  prospectin'  what  ud  be  the  eendin'  o'  the  business, 
when  I  seed  we  wur  a-gettin'  closter  to  the  timmer  ;  'twan't 
more  'u  two  miles  off,  but  'twur  all  under  water  'ceptin'  the  tops 
o'  the  trees.  I  wur  thinkin'  that  when  the  log  shed  float  in 
among  the  branches,  I  mout  slip  off,  an'  git  my  claws  upon  a 
tree,  'ithout  sayin  anythin'  to  my  travellin'  companion. 

"  Jest  at  that  minnit  somethm'  appeared  dead  ahead  o'  the 
log.  It  wur  like  an  island  ;  but  what  could  hev  brought  a 
island  thur  ?  Then  I  recollects  that  I  hed  seed  a  piece  o'  high 
ground  about  that  part  o'  the  parairy — a  sort  o'  mound  that  hed 
been  made  by  Injuns,  I  s'spose.  This,  then,  that  looked  like  a 
island,  wur  the  top  o'  this  mound,  sure  enough.  • 

"  The  log  wur  a-driftin'  in  sich  a  way  that  I  seed  it  must  pass 
within  twenty  yards  o'  the  mound.  I  detarmined  then,  as  soon 
we  shed  git  alongside,  to  put  out  for  it,  an'  leave  the  painter  to 
continue  his  voyage  'ithout  me. 

"  When  I  fust  sighted  the  island  I  seed  somethin'  that  I  hed 
tuk  for  bushes.  But  thur  wan't  no  bushes  on  the  mound — that 
I  know'd. 

"  Howsomdever,  when  we  got  a  leetle  closter,  I  diskivered 
that  the  bushes  were  beests.  They  wur  deer  ;  for  I  spied  a  part 
o'  buck's  horns  atween  me  an'  the  sky.  But  thur  wur  a  some- 
thin'  still  bigger  than  a  deer.  It  mout  be  a  hoss,  or  it  mout  be 
an  Opelousa  ox,  but  I  thort  it  wur  a  hoss. 

"  I  wur  right  about  that,  for  a  horse  it  wur,  sure  enough,  or 
rayther  I  shed  say,  a  mar,  an'  that  mar  no  other  than  my  ole 
critter  I 

"  Arter  partin'  company,  she  hed  turned  with  the  current ; 


72  THEL  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

an'  as  good-luck  ud  hev  it,  bed  swum  iii  a  bee-line  for  the  island, 
an'  thur  she  stood  lookin'  as  slick  as  if  she  hed  been  greased. 

"  The  log  hed  by  this  got  nigh  enough,  as  I  kalklated  ;  an' 
with  as  little  rumpus  as  possible,  I  slipped  over  the  eend  an' 
lot  go  my  hold  o'  it.  I  wan't  right  spread  in  the  water,  afore  I 
heerd  a  plump,  an'  lookin'  round  a  bit,  I  seed  the  painter  hed 
left  the  log  too,  an'  tuk  to  the  water. 

"  At  fust,  I  thort  he  wur  arter  me  ;  -an'  I  drawed  my  knife 
with  one  hand,  while  I  swum  with  the  other.  But  the  painter 
didn't  mean  fight  that  time.  He  made  but  poor  swimmin'  him 
self,  an'  appeared  glad  enough  to  get  upon  dry  groun'  'ithout 
molestin'  me  ;  so  we  swum  on  side  by  side,  an'  not  a  word 
passed  atween  us. 

"  I  didn't  want  to  make  a  race  o'  it ;  so  I  let  him  pass  me, 
rayther  than  that  he  should  fall  behind,  an'  get  among  my  legs. 

"  Of  coorse,  he  landed  fust ;  an'  I  could  hear  by  the  stompin' 
o'  hoofs,  that  his  suddint  appearance  hed  kicked  up  a  jolly  stam 
pede  among  the  critters  upon  the  island.  I  could  see  both  deer 
and  mar  dancing  all  over  the  groun',  as  if  Old  Nick  himself  hed 
got  among  'em. 

"  None  o'  'em,  howsomdever,  thort  o'  takin'  to  the  water. 
They  hed  all  hed  enough  o'  that,  I  guess. 

41 1  kep  a  leetle  round,  so  as  not  to  land  near  the  painter  ;  an' 
then,  touchin'  bottom,  I  climbed  quietly  up  on  the  mound.  I 
hed  hardly  drawed  my  drippin'  carcass  out  o'  the  water, 
when  I  heerd  a  loud  squeal,  which  I  knew  to  be  the  whigher  o7 
my  old  mar  ;  an'  jest  at  the  minnit  the  critter  kim  runnin'  up, 
an'  rubbed  her  nose  again  my  shoulder.  I  tuk  the  halter  in  my 
hand,  an'  sidling  round  a  leetle,  I  jumped  upon  her  back,  for  I 
still  wur  in  fear  o'  the  painter  ;  an'  the  mar's  back  appeared  to 
me  the  safest  place  about,  an'  that  wan't  very  safe,  eyther. 

"  I  now  looked  all  round  to  see  what  new  company  I  hed  got 
into.  The  day  wur  just  breakin',  an'  I  could  distinguish  a  leetle 
better  every  minnit.  The  top  o'  the  mound  which  wur  above 


OLD    IKE'S    ADVENTURE.  73 

water  wau't  over  half  an  acre  in  size,  an'  it  wur  as  clur  o'  tim- 
mer  as  any  other  part  o'  the  parairy,  so  that  I  could  see  every 
inch  o'  it,  an'  every  thin'  on  it  as  big  as  a  tumble-bug. 

"  I  reckin,  strengers,  that  you'll  hardly  believe  me  when  I 
tell  you  the  concatenation  o7  varmints  that  wur  then  an7  thur 
caucused  together.  I  could  hardly  believe  my  own  eyes  when  I 
seed  sich  a  gathering  an'  I  thort  I  hed  got  aboard  o'  Noah's 
Ark.  Thur  wur— listen,  strengers — fust  my  ole  mar  an'  meself, 
an'  I  wished  both  o'  us  anywhur  else,  I  reckin — then  thur  wur 
the  painter,  yur  old  acquaintance — then  thur  wur  four  deer,  a 
buck  an'  three  does.  Then  kim  a  catamount  ;  an7  arter  him  a 
black  bar,  a'most  as  big  as  a  buffalo.  Then  thur  wur  a  'coon 
an'  a  'possum,  an7  a  kupple  o'  gray  wolves,  Un7  a  swamp  rabbit, 
an7,  darn  the  thing  !  a  stinkiu7  skunk.  Perhaps  the  last  wan't 
the  most  dangerous  varmint  on  the  grouu',  but  it  sartintly  wur 
the  most  disagreeableest  o'  the  hul  lot,  for  it  smelt  only  as  a 
cussed  polecat  kin  smell. 

"  I've  said,  strengers,  that  I  wur  mightily  tuk  by  surprise 
when  I  first  seed  this  curious  elanjamfrey  o'critters  ;  but  I  kin 
tell  you  I  wur  still  more  dumfounded  when  I  seed  thur  beha- 
veyur  to  one  another,  knowin'  thur  different  naturs  as  I  did. 
Thur  wur  the  painter  lyin7  clost  up  to  the  deer — its  uat'ral 
prey  ;  an'  thur  wur  the  wolves  too  ;  an'  thur  wur  the  catamount 
standin'  within  three  feet  o'  the  'possum  an7  the  swamp  rabbit  ; 
an'  thur  wur  the  bar  an7  the  cunnin7  old  7coon  ;  an7  thur  they 
all  wur,  no  more  mindiu7  one  another  than  if  they  had  spent  all 
thur  days  together  in  the  same  pen. 

"  'Twur  the  oddest  sight  I  ever  seed,  an'  it  remembered  me  o' 
bit  o'  Scripter  my  ole  mother  had  often  read  from  a  book  called 
the  Bible,  or  some  sich  name — about  a  lion  that  wur  so  tame  he 
used  to  squat  down  beside  a  lamb,  'ithout  layki'  a  claw  upon  the 
innocent  critter. 

"  Wall,  strangers,  as  I'm  sayin7,  the  hul  party  behaved  in 
this  very  way.  They  all  appeared  down  in  the  mouth,  an'  badly 

4 


74  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

skeart  about  the  water  ;  but  for  all  that,  I  lied  my  fears  that 
the  painter  or  the  bar — I  wan't  afeard  o'  any  o'  the  others — 
mout  git  over  thur  fright  afore  the  flood  fell  ;  an'  thurfore  I 
kept  as  quiet  as  any  one  o'  them  during  the  hul  time  I  wur  in. 
thur  company,  an'  stay  in'  all  the  time  clost  by  the  mar.  But 
neyther  bar  nor  painter  showed  any  savage  sign  the  hul  o'  the 
next  day,  nor  the  night  that  follered  it. 

"  Strengers,  it  ud  tire  you  wur  I  to  tell  you  all  the  movements 
that  tuk  place  among  these  critters  durin'  that  long  day  an' 
night.  Ne'er  a  one  o'  'em  laid  tooth  or  claw  on  the  other.  I 
wur  hungry  enough  meself,  and  ud  a  liked  to  hev  taken  a  steak 
from  the  buttocks  o'  one  o'  the  deer,  but  I  dasen't  do  it.  I  wur 
afeard  to  break  the  peace,  which  inout  a  led  to  a  general 
shindy. 

"  When  day  broke,  next  inornin'  arter,  I  seed  that  the  flood 
wur  a  fajlin'  ;  and  as  soon  as  it  were  shallow  enough,  I  led  my 
mar  quietly  into  the  water,  an'  climbin'  upon  her  back,  tuk  a 
^leut  leave  o'  my  companions.  The  water  still  tuk  my  mar  up 
to  the  flanks,  so  that  I  knew  none  o'  the  varmint  could  follow 
'ithout  swimmin',  an'  ne?r  a  one  seemed  inclined  to  try  a  swim. 

"  I  struck  direct  for  my  neighbour's  shanty,  which  I  could  see 
about  three  mile  off,  an',  in  a  hour  or  so,  I  wur  at  his  door. 
Thur  I  didn't  stay  long,  but  borrowin'  an  extra  gun  which  he 
happened  to  hev,  an'  takin'  him  along  with  his  own  rifle,  I 
waded  my  mar  back  to  the  island. 

"  We  found  the  game  not  exactly  as  I  had  left  it.  The  fall 
o'  the  flood  had  given  the  painter,  the  cat,  an'  the  wolves 
courage.  The  swamp  rabbit  an'  the  'possum  wur  clean  gone — 
all  but  bits  o'  thur  wool — an'  one  o'  the  does  wur  better  'u  half 
devoured. 

"  My  neighbour  tuk  one  side,  an'  I  the  other,  an'  ridin'  clost 
np,  we  surrounded  the  island. 

"  I  plugged  the  painter  at  the  fust  shot,  an'  he  did  the  same 
for  the  bar.  We  next  layed  out  the  wolves,  an'  arter  that 


OLD    IKE'g    ADVENTURE.  15 


cooney,  an'  then  we  tuk  our  time  about  the  deer  —  these  last  and 
the  bar  bein'  the  only  valley'ble  things  on  the  island.  The 
skunk  we  kilt  last,  as  we  didn't  want  the  thing  to  stink  us  off 
the  place  while  we  wur  a-skinnin'  the  deer. 

"  Arter  killin'  the  skunk,  we  mounted  an'  left,  of  coorse 
loaded  with  our  bar-meat  an'  venison. 

"  I  got  my  rifle  arter  all.  When  the  flood  went  down,  I 
found  it  near  the  middle  of  the  parairy,  half  buried  in  the 
sludge. 

"  I  saw  I  hed  built  my  shanty  in  the  wrong  place  ;  but  I 
soon  looked  out  a  better  location,  an'  put  up  another.  I  hed 
all  ready  in  the  spring,  when  I  went  back  to  Mississippi,  an' 
brought  out  Mary  and  the  two  young  uns." 

The  singular  adventure  of  old  Ike  illustrates  a  point  in  natu 
ral  history  that,  as  soon  as  the  trapper  had  euded^  became  the 
subject  of  conversation.  It  was  that  singular  trait  in  the  cha 
racter  of  predatory  animals,  as  the  cougar,  when  under  circum 
stances  of  danger.  On  such  occasions  fear  seems  to  influence 
them  so  much  as  to  completely  subdue  their  ferocity,  and  they 
will  not  molest  other  animals  sharing  the  common  danger,  even 
when  the  latter  are  their  natural  and  habitual  prey.  Nearly 
every  one  of  us  had  observed  this  at  some  time  or  other  ;  and 
the  old  naturalist,  as  well  as  the  hunter-guides,  related  many 
incidents  confirming  the  strange  fact.  Humboldt  speaks  of  an 
instance  observed  by  him  on  the  Orinoco,  where  the  fierce 
jaguar  and  some  other  creatures  were  seen  quietly  and  peace 
fully  floating  together  on  the  same  log  —  all  more  or  less  fright 
ened  at  their  situation  ! 

Ike's  story  had  very  much  interested  the  doctor,  who 
rewarded  him  with  a  "nip"  from  the  pewter  flask  ;  and,  indeed, 
on  this  occasion  the  flask  was  passed  round,  as  the  day  had 
been  one  of  unusual  interest.  The  killing  of  a  cougar  is  a  rare 
adventure,  even  in  the  wildest  haunts  of  the  backwoods' 
country. 


76  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 


CHAPTER    IX. 

THE    MUSQUASH. 

OUR  next  day's  march  was  unenlivened  by  any  particular 
incident.  We  had  left  behind  us  the  heavy  timber,  and  again 
travelled  through  the  "  oak  openings."  Not  an  animal  was 
started  during  the  whole  day,  and  the  only  one  seen  was  a 
muskrat  that  took  to  the  water  of  a  small  creek  and  escaped. 
This  occurred  at  the  spot  where  we  had  halted  for  our  night 
camp,  and  after  the  tents  were  pitched,  several  of  the  party 
went  "rat  hunting."  The  burrow  of  a  family  of  these  curious 
little  animals  was  discovered  in  the  bank,  and  an  attempt  was 
made  to  dig  them  out,  but  without  success.  The  family  proved 
to  be  "  not  at  home." 

The  incident,  however,  brought  the  muskrat  on  the  tapis. 

The  "  muskrat"  of  the  States  is  the  musquash  of  the  fur-trad 
ers  (Fiber zibethicus).  He  is  called  muskrat,  from  his  resem 
blance  to  the  common  rat,  combined  with  the  musky  odour 
which  he  emits  from  glands  situated  near  the  anus.  Musquash 
is  said  to  be  an  Indian  appellative — a  strange  coincidence,  as 
the  word  "musk"  is  of  Arabic  origin,  and  "musquash"  would 
seem  a  compound  of  the  French  musque,  as  the  early  Canadian 
fur-traders  were  French,  or  of  French  descent,  and  fixed  the 
nomenclature  of  most  of  the  fur-bearing  animals  of  that  region. 
Naturalists  have  used  the  name  of  "  Musk  Beaver,"  on  account 
of  the  many  points  of  resemblance  which  this  animal  bears  to 
the  true  beaver  (Castor  fiber).  Indeed,  they  seem  to  be  of  the 
same  genus,  and  so  Linnaeus  classed  them  ;  but  the  later  sys- 
tematists  have  separated  them,  for  the  purpose,  I  should  fancy, 


THE    MUSQUASH.    . 

not  of  simplifying  science,  but  of  creating  the  impression  that 
they  themselves  were  very  profound  observers. 

The  teeth — those  great  friends  of  the  closet  naturalist,  which 
help  him  to  whole  pages  of  speculation — have  enabled  him  to 
separate  the  beaver  from  the  musquash,  although  the  whole  his 
tory  and  habits  of  these  creatures  prove  them  to  be  congeners, 
as  much  as  a  mastiff  is  the  congener  of  a  greyhound — indeed  far 
more.  So  like  are  they  in  a  general  sense,  that  the  Indians  call 
them  "  cousins." 

In  form  the  muskrat  differs  but  little  from  the  beaver.  It  is 
a  thick,  rounded,  and  flat-looking  animal,  with  blunt  nose,  short 
ears  almost  buried  in  the  fur,  stiff  whiskers  like  a  cat,  short  legs 
and  neck,  small  dark  eyes,  and  sharply-clawed  feet.  The  hinder 
ones  are  longest,  aud  are  half-webbed.  Those  of  the  beaver  are 
full-webbed. 

There  is  a  curious  fact  in  connection  with  the  tails  of  these 
animals.  Both  are  almost  naked  of  hair,  and  covered  with 
"  scales,"  and  both  are  flat.  The  tail  of  the  beaver,  and  the  uses 
it  makes  of  this  appendage,  are  things  known  to  every  one. 
Every  one  has  read  of  its  trowel-shape  and  use,  its  great  breadth, 
thickness,  and  weight,  and  its  resemblance  to  a  cricket-bat.  The 
tail  of  the  muskrat  is  also  naked,  covered  with  scales,  and  com 
pressed  or  flattened  ;  but  instead  of  being  horizontally  so,  as 
with  the  beaver,  it  is  the  reverse  ;  and  the  thin  edges  are  in  a 
vertical  plane.  The  tail  of  the  former,  moreover,  is  not  of  the 
trowel-shape,  but.Japers  like  that  of  the  common  rat.  Indeed, 
its  resemblance  to-  the  house-rat  is  so  great  as  to  render  it  a 
somewhat  disagreeable  object  to  look  upon. 

Tail  and  all,  the  muskrat  is  about  twenty  inches  in  length  ; 
f.i.a  its  body  is  about  half  as  big  as  that  of  a  beaver.  It  pos 
sesses  a  strange  power  of  contracting  its  body,  so  as  to  make  it 
appear  about  half  its  natural  size,  and  to  enable  it  to  pass  through 
a  chink  that  animals  of  much  smaller  dimensions  could  not  enter. 

Its  colour  is  reddish-brown  above,  and  light-ash  underneath. 


18  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

There  are  eccentricities,  however,  in  this  respect.  Specimens 
have  been  found  quite  black,  as  also  mixed  and  pure  white. 
The  fur  is  a  soft,  thick  down,  resembling  that  of  the  beaver,  but 
not  quite  so  fine  There  are  long  rigid  hairs,  red-coloured,  that 
over-top  the  fur  ;  and  these  are  also  sparely  scattered  over  the 
tail. 

The  habits  of  the  muskrat  are  singular — perhaps  not  less  so 
than  those  of  his  "  cousin"  the  beaver,  when  you  strip  the  his 
tory  of  the  latter  of  its  many  exaggerations.  Indeed  the 
former  animal,  in  the  domesticated  state,  exhibits  much  greater 
intelligence  than  the  latter. 

Like  the  beaver,  it  is  a  water  animal,  and  is  only  found  where 
water  exists  ;  never  among  the  dry  hills.  Its  "  range  "  extends 
over  the  whole  continent  of  North  America,  "  wherever  grass 
grows  or  water  runs."  It  is  most  probable  it  is  an  inhabitant  of 
the  Southern  Continent,  but  the  natural  history  of  that  country 
is  still  but  half  told. 

Unlike  the  beaver,  the  race  of  the  muskrat  is  not  likely  soon 
to  become  extinct.  The  beaver  is  now  found  in  America,  only 
in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  uninhabited  wilderness.  Although 
formerly  an  inhabitant  of  the  Atlantic  States,  his  presence 
there  is  now  unknown  ;  or,  if  occasionally  met  with,  it  is  no 
longer  in  the  beaver  dam,  with  its  cluster  of  social  domes,  but 
only  as  a  solitary  creature,  a  "  terrier  beaver,"  ill-featured, 
shaggy  in  coat,  and  stunted  in  growth. 

The  muskrat,  on  the  contrary,  still  frequents  the  settlements. 
There  is  hardly  a  creek,  pond,  or  watercourse,  without  one  or 
more  families  having  an  abode  upon  its  banks.  Part  of  the 
year  the  muskrat  is  a  social  animal  •  at  other  seasons  it  is  soli 
tary.  The  male  differs  but  little  from  the  female,  though  he  is 
somewhat  larger,  and  better  furred. 

In  early  spring  commences  the  season  of  his  loves.  His 
musky  odour  is  then  strongest,  and  quite  perceptible  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  his  haunt.  He  takes  a  wife,  to  whom  he  is 


THE   MUSQUASH.  79 

for  ever  after,  faithful  ;  and  it  is  believed  the  connection  con 
tinues  during  life.  After  the  "honeymoon"  a. burrow  is  made 
in  the  bank  of  a  stream  or  pond  ;  usually  in  some  solitary  and 
secure  spot  by  the  roots  of  a  tree,  and  always  in  such  a  situation 
that  the  rising  of  the  water  cannot  reach  the  nest  which  is  con 
structed  within.  The  entrance  to  this  burrow  is  frequently 
under  water,  so  that  it  is  difficult  to  discover  it.  The  nest 
within  is  a  bed  of  moss  or  soft  grasses.  In  this  the  female  brings 
forth  five  or  six  "cubs/'  which  she  nourishes  with  great  care, 
training  them  to  her  own  habits.  The  male  takes  no  part  in 
their  education  ;  but  during  this  period  absents  himself,  and 
wanders  about  alone.  In  autumn  the  cubs  are  nearly  full  grown, 
and  able  to  "  take  care  of  themselves.'7  The  "  old  father  "  now 
joins  the  family  party,  and  all  together  proceed  to  the  erection 
of  winter  quarters.  They  forsake  the  "  home  of  their  nati 
vity,"  and  build  a  very  different  sort  of  a  habitation.  The  favo 
rite  site  for  their  new  house,  is  a  swamp  not  likely  to  freeze  to 
the  bottom,  and  if  with  a  stream  running  through  it,  all  the  better. 
By  the  side  of  this  stream,  or  often  on  a  little  islet  in  the  midst, 
they  construct  a  dome-shaped  pile,  hollow  within,  and  very 
much  like  the  house  of  the  beaver.  The  materials  used  are  grass 
and  mud,  the  latter  being  obtained  at  the  bottom  of  the  swamp 
or  stream.  The  entrance  to  this  house  is  subterranean,  and  con 
sists  of  one  or  more  galleries  debouching  under  the  water.  In 
situations  where  there  is  danger  of  inundation,  the  floor  of  the 
interior  is  raised  higher,  and  frequently  terraces  are  made  to 
admit  of  a  dry  seat,  in  case  the  ground-floor  should  get  flooded. 
Of  course  there  is  free  egress  and  ingress  at  all  Jmes,  to  permit 
the  animal  to  go  after  its  food,  which  consists  of  plants  that 
grow  in  the  water  close  at  hand. 

The  house  being  completed,  and  the  cold  weather  having  set 
in,  the  whole  family,  parents  and  all,  enter  it,  and  remain  there 
during  the  winter,  going  out  only  at  intervals  for  necessary  pur 
poses.  In  spring  they  desert  this  habitation  and  never  return  to  it. 


80  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST, 

Of  course  they  are  warm  enough  during  winter  while  thus  housed, 
even  in  the  very  coldest  weather.  The  heat  of  their  own  bodies 
would  make  them  so,  lying  as  they  do,  huddled  together,  and 
sometimes  on  the  top  of  one  another,  but  the  mud  walls  of  their 
habitations  are  a  foot  or  more  in  thickness,  and  neither  frost  nor 
rain  can  penetrate  within. 

Now,  a  curious  fact  has  been  observed  in  connection  with  the 
houses  of  these  creatures.  It  shows  how  nature  has  adapted 
them  to  the  circumstances  in  which  they  may  be  placed.  By 
philosophers  it  is  termed  "  instinct  ;"  but  in  our  opinion  it  is  the 
same  sort  of  instinct  which  enables  Mr.  Hobbs  to  pick  a 
"  Chubb  "  lock.  It  is  this  :— 

In  southern  climates — in  Louisiana,  for  instance — the  swamps 
and  rivers  do  not  freeze  over  in  winter.  There  the  muskrat 
does  not  construct  such  houses  as  that  described,  but  is  con 
tented  all  the  year  with  his  burrow  in  the  banks.  He  can  go 
forth  freely  and  seek  his  food  at  all  seasons. 

In  the  north  it  is  different.  There  for  months  the  rivers  are 
frozen  over  with  thick  ice.  The  muskrat  could  only  come  out  under 
the  ice,  or  above  it.  If  the  latter,  the  entrance  of  his  burrow 
would  betray  him,  and  men  with  their  traps  and  dogs,  or  other 
enemies  would  easily  get  at  him.  Even  if  he  had  also  a  water 
entrance,  by  which  he  might  escape  upon  the  invasion  of  his 
burrow,  he  would  drown  for  want  of  air.  Although  an  amphi 
bious  animal,  like  the  beaver  and  otter,  he  cannot  live  altogether 
under  water,  and  must  rise  at  intervals*  to  take  breath.  The 
running  stream  in  winter  does  not  perhaps  furnish  him  with  his 
favorite  food — the  roots  and  stems  of  water-plants.  These  the 
swamp  affords  to  his  satisfaction  ;  besides,  it  gives  him  security 
from  the  attacks  of  men  and  preying  animals,  as  the  wolverene 
and  fisher.  Moreover,  his  house  in  the  swamp  cannot  be  easily 
approached  by  the  hunter — man — except  when  the  ice  becomes 
very  thick  and  strong.  Then,  indeed  is  the  season  of  peril  for 
the  muskrat,  but  even  then  he  has  loopholes  of  escape.  ^  .- 


THE    MUSQUASH.  81 

How  cunningly  this  creature  adapts  itself  to  its  geographical 
situation  !  In  the  extreme  north — in  the  hyperborean  regions 
of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company — lakes,  rivers,  and  even  springs 
freeze  up  in  winter.  The  shallow  marshes  become  solid  ice,  con 
gealed  to  their  very  bottoms.  How  is  the  muskrat  to  get  under 
water  there  ?  Thus,  then,  he  manages  the  matter  : — 

Upon  deep  lakes,  as  soon  as  the  ice  becomes  strong  enough  to 
bear  his  weight,  he  makes  a  hole  in  it,  and  over  this  he  constructs 
his  dome-shaped  habitation,  bringing  the  materials  up  through 
the  hole,  from  the  bottom  of  the  lake.  The  house  thus  formed 
sits  prominently  upon  the  ice.  Its  entrance  is  in  the  floor — the 
hole  which  has  already  been  made — and  thus  is  kept  open  during 
the  whole  season  of  frost,  by  the  care  and  watchfulness  of  the 
inmates,  and  by  their  passing  constantly  out  and  in  to  seek  their 
food — the  water-plants  of  the  lake. 

This  peculiar  construction  of  the  muskrat's  dwelling,  with  its 
water-passage,  would  afford  all  the  means  of  escape  from  its 
ordinary  enemies — the  beasts  of  prey — and,  perhaps,  against 
these  alone  nature  has  instructed  it  to  provide.  But  with  all  its 
cunning  it  is.  of  course,  outwitted  by  the  superior  ingenuity  of 
its  enemy — man. 

The  food  of  the  muskrat  is  varied.  It  loves  the  roots  of  seve 
ral  species  of  nymphce,  but  its  favourite  is  calamus  root  (calamus 
or  acorus  aromaticus} .  It  is  known  to  eat  shellfish,  and  heaps  of 
the  shells  of  fresh-water  muscles  (unios]  are  often  found  near  its 
retreat.  Some  assert  that  it  eats  fish,xbut  the  same  assertion 
is  made  with  regard  to  the  beaver.  This  point  is  by  no  means 
clearly  made  out  ;  and  the  closest  naturalists  deny  it,  founding 
their  opposing  theory,  as  usual,  upon  the  teeth.  For  my  part, 
I  have  but  little  faith  in  the  "  teeth,"  since  I  have  known  horses, 
hogs,  and  cattle  greedily  devour  both  fish,  flesh,  and  fowl. 

The  muskrat  is  easily  tamed,  and  becomes  familiar  and  docile. 
It  is  very  intelligent,  and  will  f  fondly  caress  the  hand  of  its 
master.  Indians  and  Canadian  settlers  often  have  them  in  their 

4* 


82  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

houses  as  pets  ;  but  there  is  so  much  of  the  rat  in  their  appear 
ance,  and  they  emit  such  a  disagreeable  odour  in  the  spring,  as 
to  prevent  them  from  becoming  general  favourites.  They  are 
difficult  to  cage  up,  and  will  eat  their  way  out  of  a  deal  box  in 
a  single  night.  Their  flesh,  although  somewhat  musky,  is  eaten 
by  the  Indians  and  white  hunters,  but  these  gentry  eat  almost 
everything  that  "  lives,  breathes,  and  moves."  Many  Canadians, 
however,  are  fond  of  the  flesh. 

It  is  not  for  its  flesh  that  the  muskrat  is  so  eagerly  hunted. 
Its  fur  is  the  important  consideration.  This  is  almost  equal  to 
the  fur  of  the  beaver  in  the  manufacture  of  hats,  and  sells  for  a 
price  that  pays  the  Indians  and  white  trappers  for  the  hardships 
they  undergo  in  obtaining  it.  It  is,  moreover,  used  in  the  mak 
ing  of  boas  -and  muffs,  as  it  somewhat  resembles  the  fur  of  the 
pine  marten  or  American  sable  (Mustela  martes],  and  on  account 
of  its  cheapness  is  sometimes  passed  off  for  the  latter.  It  is 
one  of  the  regular  articles  of  the  Hudson's  Bay  Company's 
commerce,  and  thousands  of  muskrat  skins  are  annually 
obtained.  Indeed,  were  it  not  that  the  animal  is  prolific  and 
difficult  to  capture,  its  species  would  soon  suffer  extermina 
tion. 

The  mode  of  taking  it  differs  from  that  practised  in  trapping 
the  beaver.  It  is  often  caught  in  traps  set  for  the  latter,  but 
such  a  "  catch/"  is  regarded  in  the  light  of  a  misfortune,  as  until 
it  is  taken  out  the  trap  is  rendered  useless  for  its  real  object. 
As  an  amusement  it  is  sometimes  hunted  by  dogs,  as  the  otter  is, 
and  dug  out  of  its  burrow  ;  but  the  labour  of  laying  open  its 
deep  cave  is  ill  repaid  by  the  sport.  The  amateur  sportsman 
frequently  gets  a  shot  at  the  muskrat  while  passing  along  the 
bank  near  its  haunts,  and  almost  as  frequently  misses  his  aim. 
The  creature  is  too  quick  for  him,  and  dives  almost  without 
making  a  bubble.  Of  course  once  in  the  pool  it  is  seen  no 
more. 

Many  tribes  of  Indians  hunt  the  muskrat  both  for  its  flesh 


A    RAT-HUNT.  83 

and  skin.  They  have  peculiar  modes  of  capturing  it,  of  one  of 
which  the  hunter-naturalist  gave  an  account.  A  winter  which 
he  had  spent  at  a  fort  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  settlement  of 
Ojibways  gave  him  an  opportunity  of  witnessing  this  sport  in 
perfection. 


CHAPTER    X. 

A    RAT-HUNT. 

"  CHINGAWA,"  he  began,  "  a  Chippeway  or  Ojibway  Indian, 
better  known  at  the  fort  as  '  Old  Foxey/  was  a  noted  hunter  of 
his  tribe.  T  had  grown  to  be  a  favourite  with  him.  My  well- 
known  passion  for  the  chase  was  a  sort  of  masonic  link  between 
us  ;  and  our  friendship  was  farther  augmented  by  the  present  of 
an  old  knife  for  which  I  had  no  farther  use.  The  knife  was  not 
worth  twopence  of  sterling  money,  but  it  made  '  Old  Foxey '  my 
best  friend  ;  and  all  his  '  hunter-craft ' — the  gatherings  of  about 
sixty  winters — became  mine. 

"I  had  not  yet  been  inducted  into  the  mystery  of  'rat- 
catching/  but  the  season  for  that  '  noble '  sport  at  length  arrived, 
and  the  Indian  hunter  invited  me  to  join  him  in  a  muskrat  hunt. 

"Taking  our  'traps'  on  our  shoulders,  we  set  out  for  the 
place  where  the  game  was  to  be  found.  This  was  a  chain  of 
small  lakes  or  ponds  that  ran  through  a  marshy  valley,  some  ten 
or  twelve  miles  distant  from  the  fort. 

11  The  traps,  or  implements,  consisted  of  an  ice-chisel  with  a 
handle  some  five  feet  in  length,  a  small  pick-axe,  an  iron-pointed 
spear  barbed  only  on  one  side,  with  a  long  straight  shaft,  and  a 
light  pole  about  a  dozen  feet  in  length,  quite  straight  and 
supple. 


84  THE    HUNTEKS7    FEAST. 

"  We  had  provided  ourselves  with  a  small  stock  of  eatables  as 
well  as  materials  for  kindling  a  fire — but  no  Indian  is  ever  with 
out  these.  We  had  also  carried  our  blankets  along  with  us,  as 
we  designed  to  make  a  night  of  it  by  the  lakes. 

"  After  trudging  for  several  hours  through  the  silent  winter 
forests,  and  crossing  both  lakes  and  rivers  upon  the  ice,  we 
reached  the  great  marsh.  Of  course,  this,  as  well  as  the  lakes, 
was  frozen  over  with  thick  ice  ;  we  could  have  traversed  it  with 
a  loaded  waggon  and  horses  without  danger  of  breaking 
through. 

"  We  soon  came  to  some  domed-shaped  heaps  rising  above 
the  level  of  the  ice.  They  were  of  mud,  bound  together  with 
grass  and  flags,  and  were  hardened  by'lhe  frost.  Within  each 
of  these  rounded  heaps,  Old  Foxey  knew  there  were  at  least  half 
a  dozen  muskrats — perhaps  three  times  that  number — lying  snug 
and  warm  and  huddled  together. 

*'  Since  there  appeared  no  hole  or  entrance,  the  question  was 
how  to  get  at  the  animals  inside.  Simply  by  digging  until  the 
inside  should  be  laid  open,  thought  I.  This  of  itself  would  be 
j»o  slight  labour.  The  roof  and  sides,  as  my  companion 
informed  me,  were  three  feet  in  thickness  ;  and  the  tough  mud 
was  frozen  to  the  hardness  and  consistency  of  a  fire-brick.  But 
after  getting  through  this  shell,  where  should  we  find  the 
inmates  ?  Why,  most  likely,  we  should  not  find  them  at  all 
after  all  this  labour.  So  said  my  companion,  telling  me  at  the 
same  time  that  there  were  subterranean,  or  rather  subaqueous 
passages,  by  which  the  muskrats  would  be  certain  to  make  off 
under  the  ice  long  before  he  had  penetrated  near  them. 

"  I  was  quite  puzzled  to  know  how  he  should  proceed.  Not 
so  Old  Foxey.  He  well  knew  what  he  wat  about,  and  pitching 
his  traps  down  by  one  of  the  '  houses/  commenced  operations. 

"  The  one  he  had  selected  stood  out  in  the  la^e,  some  distance 
from  its  edge.  It  was  built  entirely  upon  the  ice  ;  and,  as  the 
hunter  well  knew,  there  was  a  hole  in  the  floor  by  which  the 


A   RAT-HUNT.  85 

animals  could  get  into  the  water  at  will.  How  then  was  he  to 
prevent  them  from  escaping  by  the  hole,  while  we  removed  the 
covering  or  roof  ?  This  was  what  puzzled  me,  and  I  watched 
his  movements  with  interest. 

"Instead  of  digging  into  the  house,  he  commenced  cutting  a 
hole  in  the  ice  with  his  ice-chisel  about  two  feet  from  the  edge  of 
the  mud.  That  being  accomplished,  he  cut  another,  and  another, 
until  four  holes  were  pierced  forming  the  corners  of  a  square, 
and  embracing  the  house  of  the  muskrat  within. 

"  Leaving  this  house,  he  then  proceeded  to  pierce  a  similar  set 
of  holes  around  another  that  also  stood  out  on  the  open  lake. 
After  that  he  went  to  a  third  one,  and  this  and  then  a  fourth 
were  prepared  in  a  similar  manner. 

"  He  now  returned  to  the  first,  this  time  taking  care  to  tread 
lightly  upon  the  ice  and  make  as  little  stir  as  possible.  Having 
arrived  there,  he  took  out  from  his  bag  a  square  net  made  of 
twiste'd  deer-thongs,  and  not  much  bigger  than  a  blanket.  This 
in  a  most  ingenious  manner  he  passed  under  the  ice,  until  its 
four  corners  appeared  opposite  the  four  holes  ;  where,  drawing 
them  through,  he  made  all  fast  and  '  taut '  by  a  line  stretching 
from  one  corner  to  the  other. 

"  His  manner  of  passing  the  net  under-  the  ice  I  have  pro 
nounced  ingenious.  It  was  accomplished  by  reeving  a  line  from 
hole  to  hole  by  means  of  the  long  slender  pole  already  mentioned. 
The  pole,  inserted  through  one  of  the  holes,  conducted  the  line, 
and  was  itself  conducted  by  means  of  two  forked  sticks  that 
guided  it,  and  pushed  it  along  to  the  other  holes.  The  line 
being  attached  to  the  corners  of  the  net  made  it  an  easy  matter 
to  draw  the  latter  into  its  position. 

"All  the  details  of  this  curious  operation  were  performed 
with  a  noiseless  adroitness  which  showed  '  Old  Foxy ?  was  no 
novice  at  '  rat-catching.' 

"  The  net  being  now  quite  taut  along  the  lower  surface  of  the 
ice,  must  of  course  completely  cover  the  hole  in  the  '  floor/  It 


86 

followed,  therefore,  that  if  the  muskrats  were  '  at  home,'  they 
were  now  '  in  the  trap.7 

"  My  companion  assured  me  that  they  would  be  found  inside. 
The  reason  why  he  had  not  used  the  net  on  the  first  cutting  the 
holes,  was  to  give  any  member  of  the  family  that  had  been 
frightened  out,  a  chance  of  returning  ;  and  this  he  knew  they 
would  certainly  do,  as  these  creatures  cannot  remain  very  long 
under  the  water. 

"  He  soon  satisfied  me  of  the  truth  of  his  statement.  In  a 
few  minutes,  by  means  of  the  ice-chisel  and  pick-axe,  we  had 
pierced  the  crust  of  the  dome  ;  and  there,  apparently  half 
asleep, — because  dazzled  and  blinded  by  the  sudden  influx  of 
light — were  no  less  than  eight  full-grown  musquashes  1 

"  Almost  before  I  could  count  them,  Old  Poxy  had  trans 
fixed  the  whole  party,  one  after  the  other,  with  his  long 
spear. 

"  We  now  proceeded  to  another  of  the  houses,  at  which  the 
holes  had  been  cut.  There  my  companion  went  through  a  similar 
series  of  operations  ;  and  was  rewarded  by  a  capture  of  six 
more  '  rats.' 

"In  the  third  of  the  houses  only  three  were  found. 

"  On  opening  a  fourth,  a  singular  scene  met  our  eyes.  There 
was  but  one  muskrat  alive.,  and  that  one  seemed  to  be  nearly 
famished  to  death.  Its  body  was  wasted  to  mere  "  skin  and 
bone  ; '  and  the  animal  had  evidently  been  a  long  time  without 
food.  Beside  him  lay  the  naked  skeletons  of  several  small 
animals  that  I  at  once  saw  were  those  of  the  muskrat.  A  glance 
at  the  bottom  of  the  nest  explained  all.  The  hole,  which  in  the 
other  houses  had  passed  through  the  ice,  and  which  we  found 
quite  open,  in  this  one  was  frozen  up.  The  animals  had  neglect 
ed  keeping  it  open,  until  the  ice  had  got  too  thick  for  them  to 
break  through  ;  and  then,  impelled  by  the  cravings  of  hunger, 
they  had  preyed  upon  each  other,  until  only  one,  the  strongest, 
survived  I 


A   RAT  HUNT.  87 

"  I  found  upon  counting  the  skeletons  that  no  less  than  eleven 
had  tenanted  this  ice-bound  prison. 

"  The  Indian  assured  me  that  in  seasons  of  very  severe  frost 
such  an  occurrence  is  not  rare.  At  such  times  the  ice  forms  so 
rapidly,  that  the  animals — perhaps  not  having  occasion  to  go 
out  for,  some  hours — find  themsevles  frozen  in  ;  and  are  com 
pelled  to  perish  of  hunger,  or  devour  one  another  1 

"It  was  now  near  night — for  we  had  not  reached  the  lake 
until  late  iii  the  day — and  my  companion  proposed  that  we 
should  leave  farther  operations  until  the  following  morning.  Of 
course  I  assented  to  the  proposal,  and  we  partook  ourselves  to 
some  pine-trees  that  grew  on  high  banks  near  the  shore,  where 
we  had  determined  to  pass  the  night. 

"  There  we  kindled  a  roaring  fire  of  pine  knots  ;  but  we  had 
grown  very  hungry,  and  I  soon  found  that  of  the  provisions  I 
had  brought,  and  upon  which  I  had  already  dined,  there  remain 
ed  but  a  scanty  fragment  for  supper.  This  did  not  trouble  my 
companion,  who  skinned  several  of  the  'rats,'  gave  them  a  slight 
warming  over  the  fire,  and  then  ate  them  up  with  as  much  gout 
as  if  they  had  been  partridges.  I  was  hungry,  but  not  hungry 
enough  for  that,  so  I  sat  watching  him  with  some  astonishment, 
and  not  without  a  slight  feeling  of  disgust. 

"  It  was  a  beautiful  moonlight  night,  one  of  the  clearest  I,  ever 
remember.  There  was  a  little  snow  upon  the  ground,  just 
enough  to  cover  it  ;  and- up  against  the  white  side  of  the  hills 
could  be  traced  the  pyramidal  outlines  of  the  pines,  with  their 
regular  gradations  of  dark  needle-clothed  branches.  They  rose 
on  all  sides  around  the  lake,  looking  like  ships  with  furled  sails 
and  yards  square-set. 

"  I  was  in.  a  reverie  of  admiration,  when  I  was  suddenly 
aroused  by  a  confused  noise,  that  resembled  the  howling  and  bay 
ing  of  hounds.  I  turned  an  inquiring  look  upon  my  companion. 

"'Wolves  !'  he  replied,  unconcernedly,  chawing  away  at  his 
'  roast  rat.' 


88  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  The  howling  sounded  nearer  and  nearer  ;  and  then  there 
was  a  rattling  among  dead  trees,  and  the  quickly  repeated 
4  crunch,  crunch,'  as  of  the  hoofs  of  some  animal  breaking 
through  frozen  snow.  The  next  moment  a  deer  dashed  past  in 
full  run,  and  took  to  the  ice.  It  was  a  large  buck,  of  the  '  Cari 
bou'  or  reindeer  species  ( Cervus  tarandus),  and  I  could  see 
that  he  was  smoking  with  heat,  and  almost  run  down. 

"  He  had  hardly  passed  the  spot,  when  the  howl  again  broke 
out  in  a  continued  strain,  and  a  string  of  forms  appeared 
from  out  the  bushes.  They  were  about  a  dozen  in  all  ;  and  they 
were  going  at  full  speed  like  a  pack  of  hounds  on  the  view. 
Their  long  muzzles,  erect  ears,  and  huge  gaunt  bodies,  were  out 
lined  plainly  against  the  snowy  ground.  I  saw  that  they  were 
wolves.  They  were  white  wolves,  and  of  the  largest  spe 
cies. 

"  I  had  suddenly  sprung  to  my  feet,  not  with  the  intention  of 
saving  the  deer,  but  of  assisting  in  its  capture  ;  and  for  this 
purpose  I  seized  the  spear,  and  ran  out.  I  heard*  my  companion, 
as  I  thought,  shouting  some  caution  after  me  ;  but  I  was  too 
intent  upon  the  chase  to  pay  any  attention  to  what  he  said.  I 
had  at  the  moment  a  distinct  perception  of  hunger,  and  an  indis 
tinct  idea  of  roast  venison  for  supper. 

"  As  I  got  down  to  the  shore,  I  saw  that  the  wolves  had 
overtaken  the  deer,  and  dragged  it  down  upon  the  ice.  The 
poor  creature  made  but  poor  running  on  the  slippery  track, 
sprawling  at  every  bound  ;  while  the  sharp  claws  of  its  pursu 
ers  enabled  them  to  gallop  over  the  ice  like  cats.  The  deer 
had,  no  doubt,  mistaken  the  ice  for  water,  which  these  creatures 
very  often  do,  and  thus  become  an  easy  prey  to  wolves,  dogs, 
and  hunters. 

"  I  ran  on,  thinking  that  I  would  soon  scatter  the  wolves, 
and  rob  them  of  their  prey.  In  a  few  moments  I  was  in  their 
midst,  brandishing  my  spear  ;  but  to  my  surprise,  as  well  as 
terror,  I  saw  that,  instead  of  relinquishing  the  deer,  several  of 


MOSQUITOES    AND   THEIR   ANTIDOTE.  89 

them  still  held  on  it,  while  the  rest  surrounded  me  with  open 
jaws,  and  eyes  glancing  like  coals  of  fire. 

"I  shouted  and  fought  desperately,  thrusting  the  spear  first 
at  one  and  then  at  another  ;  but  the  wolves  only  became  more 
bold  and  fierce,  incensed  by  the  wounds  I  was  inflicting. 

"  For  several  minutes  I  continued  this  unexpected  conflict.  I 
was  growing  quite  exhausted  ;  and  a  sense  of  terrible  dread 
coming  over  me,  had  almost  paralyzed  me,  when  the  tall,  dark 
form  of  the  Indian,  hurrying  over  the  ice,  gave  me  new  courage  ; 
and  I  plied  the  spear  with  all  my  remaining  strength,  until 
several  of  my  assailants  lay  pierced  upon  the  ice.  The  others, 
now  seeing  the  proximity  of  my  companion  with  his  huge  ice- 
chisel,  and  frighted,  moreover,  by  his  wild  Indian  yells,  turned 
tail  and  scampered  off. 

"  Three  of  them,  however,  had  uttered  their  last  howl,  and 
the  deer  was  found  close  by — already  half  devoured. 

"  There  was  enough  left,  however,  to  make  a  good  supper  for 
both  myself  and  my  companion  ;  who,  although  he  had  already 
picked  the  bones  of  three  muskrats,  made  a  fresh  attack  upon 
the  venison,  eating  of  it  as  though  he  had  not  tasted  food  for 
a  fortnight." 


CHAPTER    XI. 

MOSQUITOES    AND   THEIR   ANTIDOTE. 

OUR  next  day's  journey  brought  us  again  into  heavy  timber — 
another  creek  bottom.  The  soil  was  rich  and  loamy,  and  the 
road  we  travelled  was  moist,  and  in  some  places  very  heavy  for 
our  waggon.  Several  times  the  latter  got  stalled  in  the  mud, 
and  then  the  whole  party  were  obliged  to  dismount,  and  put 
their  shoulders  to  the  wheel.  Our  progress  was  marked  by 


90  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

some  noise  and  confusion,  and  the  constant  din  made  by  Jake 
talking  to  his  team,  his  loud  sonorous  "  whoa  1"  as  they  were 
obliged  to  halt,  and  the  lively  "  gee  up — gee  up"  as  they  moved 
on  again — frighted  any  game  long  before  we  could  come  up  with 
it.  Of  course  we  were  compelled  to  keep* by  the  waggon  until 
we  had  made  the  passage  of  the  miry  flat. 

We  were  dreadfully  annoyed  by  the  mosquitoes,  particularly 
the  doctor,  of  whose  blood  they  seemed  to  be  especially  fond  1 
This  is  a  curious  fact  in  relation  to  the  mosquitoes — of  two 
persons  sleeping  in  the  same  apartment,  one  will  sometimes  be 
bitten  or  rather  punctured,  and  half  bled  to  death,  while  the 
other  remains  untouched  1  Is  it  the  quality  of  the  blood  or  the 
thickness  of  the  skin  that  guides  to  this  preference  ? 

This  point  was  discussed  amongst  us — the  doctor  taking  the 
view  that  it  was  always  a  sign  of  'good  blood  when  one  was 
more  than  usually  subject  to  the  attack  of  mosquitoes.  He  was 
himself  an  apt  illustration  of  the  fact.  This  statement  of  course 
produced  a  general  laugh,  and  some  remarks  at  the  doctor's 
expense,  on  the  part  of  the  opponents  of  his  theory.  Strange  to 
say,  Old  Ike  was  fiercely  assailed  by  the  little  blood-suckers. 
This  seemed  to  be  an  argument  against  the  doctor's  theory,  for 
in  the  tough  skinny  carcass  of  the  old  trapper,  the  blood  could 
neither  have  been  very  plenteous  nor  delicate. 

Most  of  us  smoked  as  we  rode  along,  hoping  by  that  means  to 
drive  off  the  ferocious  swarm,  but  although  tobacco  smoke  is 
disagreeable  to  the  mosquitoes,  they  cannot  be  wholly  got  rid  of 
by  a  pipe  or  cigar.  Could  one  keep  a  constant  nimbus  of  the 
smoke  around  his  face  it  might  be  effective,  but  not  otherwise. 
A  sufficient  quantity  of  tobacco  smoke  will  kill  mosquitoes  out 
right,  as  I  have  more  than  once  proved  by  a  thorough  fumigation 
of  my  sleeping  apartment. 

These  insects  are  not  peculiar,  as  sometimes  supposed,  to  the 
inter-tropical  regions  of  America.  They  are  found  in  great 
numbers  even  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  and  as  fierce  and 


MOSQUITOES    AXD   THEIR   ANTIDOTE.  91 

bloodthirsty  as  anywhere  else — of  course  only  in  the  summer 
season,  when,  as  before  remarked,  the  thermometer  in  these 
Northern  latitudes  mounts  to  a  high  figure.  Their  haunts  are 
the  banks  of  rivers,  and  particularly  those  of  a  stagnant  and* 
muddy  character. 

There  is  another  singular  fact  in  regard  to  them.  Upon  the 
banks  of  some  of  the  South  American  rivers,  life  is  almost  unen 
durable  on  account  of  this  pest — the  " plaga  de  mosqnilos"  as 
the  Spaniards  term  it — while  upon  other  streams  in  the  very 
same  latitude  mosquitoes  are  unknown.  These  streams  are 
what  are  termed  "  rios  negros,"  or  black-water  rivers — a  peculiar 
class  of  .rivers,  to  which  many  tributaries  of  the  Amazon  and 
Orinoco  belong. 

Our  English  comrade,  who  had  travelled  all  over  South 
America,  gave  us  this  information  as  we  rode  along.  He  stated 
that  he  had  often  considered  it  a  great  relief,  a  sort  of  escape 
from  purgatory,  while  on  his  travels  he  parted  from  one  of  the 
yellow  or  white  water  streams,  to  enter  one  of  the  "  rios  negros." 
Many  Indian  tribes  settled  upon  the  banks  of  the  latter,  solely 
to  get  clear  of  the  "plaga  de  mosquitos."  The  Indians  who 
reside  in  the  mosquito  districts  habitually  paint  their  bodies  and 
smear  themselves  with  oil,  as  a  protection  against  their  bites  ; 
and  it  is  a  common  thing  among  the  natives,  when  speaking  of 
any  place,  to  inquire  into  the  "  character  n  of  its  mosquitoes  ! 

On  some  tributaries  of  the  Am&zon  the  mosquitoes  are  really 
a  life  torment,  and  the  wretched  creatures  who  inhabit  such 
places  frequently  bury  their  bodies  in  the  sand  in  order  to  get 
sleep  !  Even  the  pigments  with  which  they  anoint  themselves 
are  pierced  by  the  poisoned  bills  of  their  tormentors, 

Besai^on  and  the  Kentuekian  both  denied  that  any  species 
of  ointment  would  serve  as  a  protection  against  mosquitoes. 
The  doctor  joined  them  in  their  denial.  They  asserted  that 
they  had  tried  everything  that  could  be  thought  of — camphor, 
ether,  hartshorn,  spirits  of  turpentine,  &c. 


92  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

Some  of  us  were  of  a  different  opinion,  and  Ike  settled  the 
point  soon  after  in  favour  of  the  dissentients  by  a  practical 
illustration.  The  old  trapper,  as  before  stated,  was  a  victim  of 
4the  fiercest  attacks,  as  was  manifested  by  the  slapping  which  he 
repeatedly  administered  to  his  cheeks,  and  an  almost  constant 
muttering  of  bitcer  imprecations.  He  knew  a  remedy,  he  said, 
in  a  "  sartint  weed,"  if  he  could  only  "lay  his  claws  upon  it." 
We  noticed  that  from  time  to  time  as  he  rode  along  his  eyes 
swept  the  ground  in  every  direction.  At  length  a  joyous  excla 
mation  told  that  he  had  discovered  the  "  weed." 

"  Thur's  the  darned  thing  at  last,"  muttered  he,  as  he  flung 
himself  to  the  ground,  and  commenced  gathering  the  stalks  of  a 
small  herb  that  grew  plentifully  about.  It  was  an  annual,  with 
leaves  very  much  of  the  size  and  shape  of  young  garden  box 
wood,  but  of  a  much  brighter  green.  Of  course  we  all  knew 
well  enough  what  it  was,  for  there  is  not  a  village  "  common  " 
in  the  Western  United  States  that  is  not  covered  with  it.  It 
was  the  well-known  "  penny-royal "  (Htdeoma  pulegioides),  not 
the  English  herb  of  that  name,  which  is  a  species  of  mentha. 

Redwood  also  leaped  from  his  horse,  and  set  to  plucking  the 
"  weed."  He  too,  from  experience,  knew  its  virtues. 

We  all  drew  bridle,  watching  the  guides.  Both  operated  in 
a  similar  manner.  Having  collected  a  handful  of  the  teuderest 
tops,  they  rubbed  them  violently  between  their  palms — rough 
and  -good  for  such  service — and  then  passed  the  latter  over  the 
exposed  skin  of  their  necks  and  faces.  Ike  took  two  small 
bunches  of  the  stalks,  crushed  them  under  his  heel,  and  then 
stuck  them  beneath  his  cap,  so  that  the  ends  hung  down  over 
his  cheeks.  This  being  done,  he  and  his  comrade  mounted  their 
horses  and  rode  on 

Some  of  us — the  hunter-naturalist,  the  Englishman,  and 
myself — dismounted  and  imitated  Ike — of  course  under  a  volley 
of  laughter  and  "pooh-poohs  "  from  Besangon,  the  Kentuckian, 
and  the  doctor  ;  but  we  had  not  ridden  two  hundred  paces  until 


MOSQUITOES   AND   THEIR   ANTIDOTE.  93 

the  joke  changed  sides.  From  that  moment  not  a  mosquito 
approached  us,  while  our  three  friends  were  bitten  as  badly  as 
ever. 

In  the  end  they  were  convinced,  and  the  torment  of  the  mos 
quitoes  proving  stronger  than  the  fear  of  our  ridicule,  all  three 
sprang  out  of  their  saddles,  and  made  a  rush  at  the  next  bed  of 
penny-royal  that  came  in  sight. 

Whether  it  is  the  highly  aromatic  odour  of  the  penny-royal 
that  keeps  off  these  insects,  or  whether  the  juice  when  touched 
by  them  burns  the  delicate  nerves  of  their  feet,  I  am  unable  to 
say.  Certain  it  is  they  will  not  alight  upon  the  skin  which  has 
been  plentifully  anointed  with  it.  I  have  tried  the  same  experi 
ment  often  since  that  time  with  a  similar  result,  and  in  fact  have 
never  since  travelled  through  a  mosquito  country  without  a  pro 
vision  of  the  "  essence  of  penny-royal."  This  is  better  than  the 
herb  itself,  and  can  be  obtained  from  any  apothecary.  A  single 
drop  or  two  spilled  in  the  palm  of  the  hand  is  sufficient  to  rub 
over  all  the  parts  exposed,  and  will  often  ensure  sleep,  where 
otherwise  such  a  thing  would  be  impossible.  I  have  often  lain 
with  my  face  so  smeared,  and  listened  to  the  sharp  hum  of  the 
mosquito  as  it  approached,  fancying  that  the  next  moment  I 
should  feel  its  tiny  touch,  as  it  settled  down  upon  my  cheek,  or 
brow.  As  soon,  however,  as  it  came  within  the  influence  of  the 
penny-royal  I  could  hear  it  suddenly  tack  round  and  wing  its 
way  off  again,  until  its  disagreeable  "music"  was  no  longer 
heard. 

The  only  drawback  in  the  use  of  the  penny-royal,  lies  in  the 
burning  sensation  which  the  fluid  produces  upon  the  skin  ;  and 
this  in  a  climate  where  the  thermometer  is  pointing  to  90°  is  no 
slight  disqualification  of  the  remedy.  The  use  of  it  is  sometimes 
little  better  than  "  Hobbson's  choice.'7 

The  application  of  it  on  the  occasion  mentioned  restored  the 
spirits  of  our  party,  which  had  been  somewhat  kept  under  by 
the  continuous  attacks  of  the  mosquitoes,  and  a  lively  incident 


94  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

that  occurred  soon  after,  viz.  the  hunt  and  capture  of  a  raccoon, 
made  us  all  quite  merry. 

Cooney,  though  a  night  prowler,  is  sometimes  abroad  during 
the  day,  but  especially  in  situations  where  the  timber  is  high, 
and  the  woods  dark  and  gloomy.  On  the  march  we  had  come 
so  suddenly  upon  this  one,  that  he  had  not  time  to  strike  out  for 

his  own  tree,  where  he  would  soon  have  hidden  from  us  in  its 

-  » 

deep  cavity.  He  had  been  too  busy  with  his  own  affairs — the 
nest  of  a  wild  turkey  upon  the  ground,  under  some  brush  and 
leaves,  the  broken  eggs  in  which  told  of  the  delicious  meal  he 
had  made.  Taken  by  surprise — for  the  guides  had  ridden  nearly 
on  top  of  him — he  galloped  up  the  nearest  tree,  which  fortu 
nately  contained  neither  fork  nor  cavity  in  which  he  could  shelter 
himself  ;  and  a  well-directed  shot  from  Redwood's  rifle  brought 
him  with  a  heavy  "  thump  "  back  to  the  ground  again. 

We  were  all  stirred  up  a  little  by  this  incident  ;  in  fact,  the 
unusual  absence  of  game  rendered  ever  so  trifling  an  occurrence  an 
" event"  with  us.  No  one,  however,  was  so  pleased  as  the  black 
waggoner  Jake,  whose  eyes  fairly  danced  in  his  head  at  the  sight 
of  a  "coon."  The  "coon"  to  Jake  was  well-known  game — 
natural  and  legitimate — and  Jake  preferred  "  roast  coon  "  to 
fried  bacon  at  any  time.  Jake  knew  that  none  of  us  would  care 
to  eat  of  his  coonship.  He  was  therefore  sure  of  his  supper  ; 
and  the  "  varmint"  was  carefully  deposited  in  the  corner  of  the 
waggon. 

Jake  did  not  have  it  all  to  himself.  The  trappers  liked  fresh 
meat  too,  even  "  coon-meat ; "  and  of  course  claimed  their  share. 
None  of  the  rest  of  the  party  had  any  relish  for  such  a  fox-like 
carcass. 

After  supper,  cooney  was  honoured  with  a  description,  and  for 
many  of  the  facts  of  his  history  we  are  indebted  to  Jake  himself. 


THE    'COON,    AND    HIS    HABITS.  95 


CHAPTER  XII. 

THE   'COON,    AND    HIS    HABITS. 

FOREMOST  amongst  the  wild  creatures  of  America  in  point  of 
being  generally  known  is  the  raccoon  (Procyon  lotor).  None  has 
a  wider  geographical  distribution,  as  its  "  range  "  embraces  the 
entire  Continent  from  the  Polar  Sea  to  Terra  del  Fuego.  Some 
naturalists  have  denied  that  it  is  found  in  South  America. 
This  denia-1  is  founded  on  the  fact,  that  neither  Ulloa  nor  Molina 
have  spoken  of  it.  But  how  many  other  animals  have  these 
crude  naturalists  omitted  to  describe  ?  We  may  safely  assert 
that  the  raccoon  .exists  in  South  America,  as  well  in  the  tropical 
forests  of  Guiana  as  in  the  colder  regions  of  the  Table  Land — 
everywhere  that  there  exists  tree-timber.  In  most  parts  where 
the  Spanish  language  is  spoken,  it  is  known  as  the  "  zorro  negro," 
or  black  fox.  Indeed,  there  are  two  species  in  South  America, 
the  common  one  (Procyon  lotor),  and  the  crab-eater  (Procyon 
mncrivorus. ) 

In  North  America  it  is  one  of  the  most  common  of  wild 
animals.  In  all  parts  you  may  meet  with  it.  In  the  hot  low 
lands  of  Louisiana — in  the  tropical  "  chapparals"  of  Mexico — 
in  the  snowy  regions  of  Canada — and  in  the  vernal  valleys  of 
California.  Unlike  the  deer,  the  wild  cat,  and  the  wolverene,  it 
is  never  mistaken  for  any  other  animal,  nor  is  any  other  annual 
taken  for  it.  It  is  as  well  known  in  America  as  the  red  fox  is 
in  England,  and  with  a  somewhat  similar  reputation. 

Although  there  is  a  variety  in  color  and  size,  there  is  no 
ambiguity  about  species  or  genus.  Wherever  the  English  lan 
guage  is  spoken,  it  has  but  one  name,  the  "  raccoon.'7  In  Ame 
rica,  every  man,  woman  and  child  knows  the  "  sly  old  'coon.'7 


96  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 


animal  has  been  placed  by  naturalists  in  the  family 
Ursidae,  genus  Procyon.  Linnaeus  made  it  a  bear,  and  classed  it 
with  Ursus.  It  has,  in  our  opinion,  but  little  in  common  with 
the  bear,  and  far  more  resembles  the  fox.  Hence  the  Spanish 
name  of  "  zorro  negro"  (black  fox). 

A  writer  quaintly  describes  it  thus  :  —  "  The  limbs  of  a  bear, 
and  the  body  of  a  badger,  the  head  of  a  fox,  the  nose  of  a  dog, 
the  tail  of  a  cat,  and  sharp  claws,  by  which  it  climbs  trees  like  a 
monkey."  We  cannot  admit  the  similarity  of  its  tail  to  that  of 
a  cat.  The  tail  of  the  raccoon  is  full  and  bushy,  which  is  not 
true  of  the  cat's  tail.  There  is  only  a  similarity  in  the  annulated 
or  banded  appearance  noticed  in  the  tails  of  some  cats,  which  in 
that  of  the  raccoon  is  a  marked  characteristic. 

The  raccoon,  to  speak  in  round  terms,  is  about  the  size  of  an 
English  fox,  but  somewhat  thicker,  and  "  bunchier  "  in  the  body. 
Its  legs  are  short  in  proportion,  and  as  it  is  plantigrade  in  the 
hind  feet,  it  stands  and  runs  low  and  cat-like.  The  muzzle  is 
extremely  pointed  and  slender,  adapted  to  its  habit  of  prying 
into  every  chink  and  corner,  in  search  of  spiders,  beetles,  and 
other  creatures. 

The  general  colour  of  the  raccoon  is  dark-brown  (nearly 
black)  on  the  upper  part  of  the  body  mixed  with  iron-grey. 
Underneath  it  .is  of  a  lighter  hue.  There  is,  here  and  there.,  a 
little  fawn  colour  intermixed.  A  broad  black  band  runs  across 
the  eyes  and  unites  under  the  throat.  This  band  is  surrounded 
and  sharply  denned  with  a  margin  of  greyish  white,  which  gives 
a  unique  expression  to  the  "  countenance  "  of  the  "coon." 

One  of  the  chief  beauties  of  this  animal  is  its  tail,  which  is 
characteristic  in  its  markings.  It  exhibits  twelve  annulations  or 
ring-bands,  six  black  and  six  greyish-white,  in  regular  alterna 
tion.  The  tip  is  black,  and  the  tail  itself  is  very  full  and 
"  bushy."  When  the  'coon  skin  is  made  into  a  cap  —  which  it 
often  is  among  hunters  and  frontiersmen  —  the  tail  is  left  to  hang 
as  a  drooping  plume  ;  and  such  a  head-dress  is  far  from  ungracc- 


THE    'COON    AND    HIS   HABITS.  97 

ful.     In  some   "settlements"  the  'coon-skin   cap  is   quite   the 
fashion  among  the  young  "  backwoodsmen." 

The  raccoon  is  an  animal  of  an  extremely  amorous  dispo 
sition  ;  but  there  is  a  fact  connected  with  the  sex  of  this  crea 
ture  which  is  curious  :  the  female  is  larger  than  the  male.  Not 
only  larger,  but  in  every  respect  a  liner-looking  animal  The 
hair,  long  on  both,  is  more  full  and  glossy  upon  the  female,  its 
tints  deeper  and  more  beautiful.  This  is  contrary  to  the 
general  order  of  nature.  By  those  unacquainted  with  this  fact, 
the  female  is  mistaken  for  the  male,  and  vice  versa,  as  in  the  case 
of  the  hawks  and  eagles. 

The  fur  of  the  raccoon  has  long  been  an  article  of  commerce, 
as  it  is  used  in  making  beaver  hats  ;  but  as  these  have  given 
place  in  most  countries  to  the  silk  article,  the  'coon  skin  now 
commands  but  a  small  price. 

The  raccoon  is  a  tree-climber  of  the  first  quality.  It  climbs 
with  its  sharp  curved  claws,  not  by  hugging,  as  is  the  case  with  the 
bear  tribe.  Its  lair,  or  place  of  retreat,  is  in  a  tree — some  hol 
low,  with  its  entrance  high  up.  Such  trees  are  common  in  the 
great  primeval  forests  of  America.  In  this  tree-cave  it  has  its 
nest,  where  the  female  brings  forth  three,  four,  five,  or  six 
"  cubs  "  at  a  birth.  This  takes  place  in  early  spring — usually 
the  first  week  in  April. 

The  raccoon  is  a  creature  of  the  woods.  On  the  prairies  and 
in  tree-less  regions  it  is  not  known.  It  prefers  heavy  "timber," 
where  there  are  huge  logs  and  hollow- trees  in  plenty.  It 
requires  the  neighbourhood  of  water,  and  in  connection  with 
this  may  be  mentioned  a  curious  habit  it  has,  that  of  plunging 
its  food  into  the  water  before  devouring  it.  It  will  be  remembered 
that  the  otter  has  a  similar  habit.  It  is  from  this  peculiarity 
that  the  raccoon  derives  its  specific  name  of  Lotor  (washer). 
It  does  not  always  moisten  its  morsel  thus,  but  pretty  generally. 
It  is  fond,  moreover,  of  frequent  ablutions,  and  no  animal  is  more 
clean  and  tidy  in  its  habits. 

5 


98  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

The  raccoon  is  almost  omnivorous.  It  eats  poultry  or  wild 
fowl.  It  devours  frogs,  lizards,  larvae,  and  insects  without  dis 
tinction.  It  is  fond  of  sweets,  and  is  very  destructive  to  the 
sugar-cane  and  Indian  corn  of  the  planter.  When  the  ear  of 
the  maize  is  young,  or,  as  it  is  termed,  "in  the  milk,"  it  is  very 
sweet.  Then  the  raccoon  loves  to  prey  upon  it.  Whole  troops 
at  night  visit  the  corn-fields  and  commit  extensive  havoc. 
These  mischievous  habits  make  the  creature  many  enemies,  and 
in  fact  it  has  but  few  friends.  It  kills  hares,  rabbits,  and 
squirrels  when  it  can  catch  them,  and  will  rob  a  bird's  nest  in 
the  most  ruthless  manner.  It  is  particularly  fond  of  shell-fish  ; 
and  the  unios,  with  which  many  of  the  fresh-water  lakes  and 
rivers  of  America  abound,  form  part  of  its  food.  These  it  opens 
as  adroitly  with  its  claws  as  an  oysterman  could  with  his  knife. 
It  is  partial  to  the  "  soft-shell "  crabs  and  small  tortoises  com 
mon  in  the  American  waters. 

Jake  told  us  of  a  trick  which  the  'coon  puts  in  practice  for 
catching  the  small  turtles  of  the  creek.  We  were  not  inclined 
to  give  credence  to  the  story,  but  Jake  almost  swore  to  it.  It 
is  certainly  curious  if  true,  but  it  smacks  very  much  of  Buffon. 
It  may  be  remarked,  however,  that  the  knowledge  which  the 
plantation  negroes  have  of  the  habits  of  the  raccoon  surpasses 
that  of  any  mere  naturalist.  Jake  boldly  declares  that  the 
'coon  fishes  for  turtles  !  that  it  squats  upon  the  bank  of  the 
stream,  allowing  its  bushy  tail  to  hang  over  into  the  water  ;  that 
the  turtles  swimming  about  in  search  of  food  or  amusement, 
spies  the  hairy  appendage  and  lays  hold  of  it  ;  and  the  'coon 
feeling  the  nibble,  suddenly  draws  the  testaceous  swimmer  upon 
dry  land,  and  then  "  cleans  out  de  shell"  at  his  leisure  ! 

The  'coon  is  often  domesticated  in  America.  It  is  harmless  as 
a  dog  or  cat  except  when  crossed  by  children,  when  it  will  snarl, 
snap,  and  bite  like  the  most  crabbed  cur.  It  is  troublesome, 
however,  where  poultry  is  kept,  and  this  prevents  its  being 
much  of  a  favourite.  Indeed,  it  is  not  one,  for  it  is  hunted 


THE    'COON    AND    HIS    HABITS.  99 

everywhere,  and  killed — wherever  this  can  be  done — on 
sight. 

There  is  a  curious  connection  between  the  negro  and  the 
raccoon.  It  is  not  a  tie  of  sympathy,  but  a  link  of  antagonism. 
The  'coon,  as  already  observed,  is  the  negro's  legitimate  game. 
'Coon-hunting  is  peculiarly  a  negro  sport.  The  negro  is  the 
'coon's  mortal  enemy.  He  kills  the  'coon  when  and  wherever  he 
can,  and  eats  it  too.  He  loves  its  "  meat,''  which  is  pork-tasted, 
and  in  young  'coons  palatable  enough,  but  in  old  ones  rather 
rank.  This,  however,  our  "  darkie"  friend  does  not  much  mind, 
particularly  if  his  master  be  a  "  stingy  old  boss,"  and  keeps  him 
on  rice  instead  of  meat  rations.  The  negro,  moreover,  makes  an 
odd  "bit"  (12£  cents)  by  the  skin,  which  he  disposes  of  to  the 
neighbouring  "storekeeper." 

The  'coon-hunt  is  a  "  nocturnal  "  sport,  and  therefore  does  not 
interfere  with  the  negro's  regular  labour.  By  right  the  night 
belongs  to  him,  and  he  may  then  dispose  of  his  time  as  he 
pleases,  which  he  often  does  in  this  very  way. 

The  negro  is  not  allowed  to  carry  fire-arms,  and  for  this  reason 
the  squirrel  may  perch  upon  a  high  limb,  jerk  its  tail  about  and 
defy  him  ;  the  hare  may  run  swiftly  away,  and  the  wild  turkey 
may  tantalise  him  with  its  incessant  "  gobbling."  But  the  'coon 
can  be  killed  without  fire-arms.  The  'coon  can  be  overtaken  and 
"  treed."  The  negro  is  not  denied  the  use  of  an  axe,  and  no 
man  knows  better  how  to  handle  it  than  he.  The  'coon,  there 
fore  is  his  natural  game,  and  much  sport  does  he  have  in  its 
pursuit.  Nearly  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  opossum 
(Diddphis  Virginiana)  ;  but  the  "  'possum"  is  more  rare,  and  it 
is  not  our  intention  now  to  describe  that  very  curious  creature. 
From  both  'coon  and  'possum  does  the  poor  negro  derive  infinite 
sport — many  a  sweet  excitement  that  cheers  his  long  winter 
nights,  and  checquers  with  brighter  spots  the  dull  and  darksome 
monotony  of  his  slave-life.  I  have  often  thought  what  a  pity  it 
would  be  if  the  'coon  and  the  opossum  should  be  extirpated 


100  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

before  slavery  itself  became  extinct.  I  had  often  shared  in  this 
peculiar  sport  of  the  negro,  and  joined  in  a  real  'coon  chase,  but 
the  most  exciting  of  all  was  the  first  in  which  I  had  been 
engaged,  and  I  proffered  my  comrades  an  account  of  it. 


CHAPTER    XIII. 

A   'COON    CHASE. 

"My  'coon  cnase  took  place  in  Tennessee,  where  I  was 
sojourning  for  some  time  upon  a  plantation.  It  was  the  first 
affair  of  the  kind  I  had  been  present  at,  and  I  was  somewhat 
curious  as  to  the  mode  of  carrying  it  on.  My  companion  and 
inductor  was  a  certain  '  Uncle  Abe/  a  gentleman  very  much 
after  the  style  and  *  complexion'  of  our  own  Jake  here. 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  gentlemen,  that  throughout  the  Western 
States  every  neighbourhood  has  its  noted  'coon  hunter.  He  is 
usually  a  wary  old  '  nigger,'  who  knows  all  the  tricks  and 
dodges  of  the  'coon.  He  either  owns  a  dog  himself,  or  has  train 
ed  one  of  his  master's,  in  that  peculiar  line.  It  is  of  little 
importance  what  breed  the  dog  may  be.  I  have  known  curs 
that  were  excellent  '  'coon  dogs.7  All  that  is  wanted  is,  that 
he  have  a  good  nose,  and  he  be  a  good  runner,  and  of  sufficient 
bulk  to  be  able  to  bully  a  'coon  when  taken.  This  a  very  small 
dog  cannot  do,  as  the  'coon  frequently  makes  a  desperate  fight 
before  yielding.  Mastiffs,  terriers,  and  half-bred  pointers  make 
the  best  '  'coon-dogs.' 

"  Uncle  Abe  was  the  mighty  hunter,  the  Nimrod  of  the  neigh 
bourhood  in  which  I  happened  to  be  ;  and  Uncle  Abe's  dog — a 
stout  terrier — was  esteemed  the  smartest  '  'coon-dog '  in  a  circle 
of  twenty  miles.  In  going  out  with  Uncle  Abe,  therefore,  I 
had  confidence  that  I  should  see  sport. 


A   ;COON   CHASE.  101 

"  On  one  side  of  the  plantation  was  a  heavily-timbered  '  bot 
tom/  through  which  meandered  a  small  stream,  called,  of  course, 
a  '  creek.7  This  bottom  was  a  favourite  habitat  of  the  'coons, 
as  there  were  large  trees  growing  near  the  water,  many  of  which 
were  hollow  either  in  their  trunks  or  some  of  their  huge  limbs. 
Moreover,  there  were  vast  trellises  of  vines  extending  from  tree 
to  tree  ;  some  of  them,  as  the  fox  and  muskadine  ( Vitis 
labrnsca),  yielding  sweet  grapes,  of  which  the  raccoons  are  very 
fond. 

"  To  this  bottom,  then,  we  directed  our  course,  Abe  acting  as 
guide,  and  holding  his  dog,  Pompo,  in  the  leash.  Abe  carried 
110  other  weapon  than  an  axe,  while  I  had  armed  myself  with 
a  double-barrel.  Pompo  knew  as  well  as  either  of  us  the  errand 
on  which  we  were  bent,  as  appeared  from  his  flashing  eyes  and 
the  impatient  leaps  which  he  now  and  then  made  to  get 
free. 

''We  had  to  cross  a  large  corn-field,  a  full  half-mile  in  breath, 
before  we  reached  the  woods.  Between  this  and  the  timber 
was  a  zigzag  fence — the  common  '  rail'  fence  of  the  American 
farmer.  For  some  distance  beyond  the  fence  the  timber  was 
small,  but  farther  on  was  the  creek  '  bottom,'  where  the  'coons 
were  more  likely  to  make  their  dwelling-place. 

"  We  did  not  however,  proceed  direct  to  the  bottom.  Abe 
knew  better  than  that.  The  young  corn  was  just  then  'in  the 
milk,'  and  the  'coon-hunter  expected  to  find  his  game  nearer  the 
field.  It  was  settled,  therefore,  that  we  should  follow  the  line 
of  the  fence,  in  hopes  that  the  dog  would  strike  a  fresh  trail, 
leading  either  to  or  from  the  corn-field. 

"  It  was  now  night, — two  hours  after  sundown.  The  'coon- 
chase,  I  have  already  said,  is  a  nocturnal  sport.  The  raccoon 
does  range  by  day,  but  rarely,  and  only  in  dark  and  solitary 
woods.  He  often  basks  by  day  upon  high  limbs,  or  the  broken 
tops,  of  trees.  I  have  shot  several  of  his  tribe  while  asleep, 
or  sunning  themselves  in  such  situations.  Perhaps  before  they 


102  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

knew  their  great  enemy-man,  they  were  less  nocturnal  in  their 
activity. 

"  We  had  a  fine  moonlight ;  but  so  far  as  a  view  of  the  chase 
was  concerned,  that  would  benefit  us  but  little.  During  the 
hunt  there  is  not  much  to  be  seen  of  either  dog  or  'coon,  as  it 
is  always  a  scramble  through  trees  and  underwood.  The  dog 
trusts  altogether  to  his  nose,  and  the  hunter  to  his  ears,  for  the 
latter  has  no  other  guide  save  the  yelp  or  bark  of  his  canine 
assistant.  Nevertheless,  moonlight,  or  a  clear  night,  is  indispen 
sable  ;  without  one  or  the  other,  it  would  be  impossible  to  fol 
low  through  the  woods.  A  view  of  a  'coon-chase  is  a  luxury 
enjoyed  only  by  the  bats  and  owls. 

"  Pompo  was  now  let  loose  in  the  corn  ;  while  Abe  and  I 
walked  quietly  along  the  fence,  keeping  on  different  sides.  Abe 
remained  in  the  field  for  the  purpose  of  handing  over  the  dog, 
as  the  fence  was  high — a  regular  '  ten  rail,  with  stalks  and 
riders.'  A  'coon  could  easily  cross  it,  but  not  a  dog  without 
help. 

"  We  had  not  gone  more  than  a  hundred  yards,  when  a  quick 
sharp  yelp  from  Pompo  announced  that  he  had  come  suddenly 
upon  something  in  the  corn-field. 

"  '  A  varmint  ! '  cried  Abe  ;  and  the  next  moment  appeared 
•the  dog,  running  up  full  tilt  among  the  maize  plants  and  up  to 
the  fence.  I  could  see  some  dark  object  before  him,  that  passed 
over  the  rails  with  a  sudden  spring,  and  bounded  into  the 
timbers. 

"  '  A  varmint,  massa  ! '  repeated  Abe,  as  he  lifted  the  dog 
over,  and  followed  himself. 

"  I  knew  that  in  Abe's  vocabulary — for  that  night  at  least — 
a  'varmint'  meant  a  'coon;  and  as  we  dashed  through  the 
brushwood,  following  the  dog,  I  felt  all  the  excitement  of  a 
'coon-chase. 

"  It  was  not  a  long  one — I  should  think  of  about  five  minutes' 
duration  ;  at  the  end  of  which  time  the  yelp  of  the  dog  which 


A   'COON    CHASE.  103 

had  hitherto  guided  us,  changed  into  a  regular  and  continuous 
barking.     On  hearing  this,  Abe  quietly  announced  — 

"  '  The  varmint  am  treed.' 

"  Our  only  thought  now  was  to  get  to  the  tree  as  speedily 
as  possible,  but  another  thought  entered  our  minds  as  we 
advanced ;  that  was,  what  sort  of  a  tree  had  the  'coon  taken 
shelter  in  ? 

"  This  was  an  important  question,  and  its  answer  involved  the 
success  or  failure  of  our  hunt.  If  a  very  large  tree,  we  might 
1  whistle '  for  the  'coon.  Abe  knew  this  well,  and  as  we  passed 
on,  expressed  his  doubts  about  the  result. 

"  The  bark  of  Pompo  sounded  some  hundred  yards  off,  in  the 
very  heaviest  of  the  bottom  timber.  It  was  not  likely,  there 
fore,  that  the  'coon  had  taken  to  a  small  tree,  while  here  were 
large  ones  near  at  hand.  Our  only  hope  was  that  he  had 
climbed  one  that  was  not  '  hollow. '  In  that  case  we  might  still 
have  a  chance  with  the  double-barrel  and  buck-shot.  Abe  had 
but  little  hope. 

"  '  He  hab  reach  him  own  tree,  massa  ;  an'  that  am  sartin  to 
be  a  big  un  wi'  a  hole  near  um  top.  Wagh  !  'twar  dat  ar  fence. 
But  for  de  dratted  fence  ole  Pomp  nebber  lot  um  reach  um  own 
tree.  Wagh  !' 

"  From  this  I  learned  that  one  point  in  the  character  of  a 
good  'coon-dog  was  speed.  The  'coon  runs  well  for  a  few  hun 
dred  yards.  He  rarely  strays  farther  from  his  lair.  If  he  can 
beat  his  pursuer  for  this  distance  he  is  safe,  as  his  retreat  is 
always  in  a  hollow  tree  of  great  size.  There  is  no  way  of  get 
ting  at  him  there,  except  by  felling  the  tree,  and  this  the  most 
zealous  'coon-hunter  would  not  think  of  attempting.  The  labour 
of  cutting  down  such  a  tree  would  be  worth  a  dozen  'coons. 
A  swift  dog,  therefore,  will  overtake  the  raccoon,  and  force  him 
to  the  nearest  tree — often  a  small  one,  where  he  is  either  shaken 
off  or  the  tree  cut  down.  Sometimes  the  hunter  climbs  after 


104  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

and  forces  him  to  leap  out  so  as  to  fall  into  the  very  jaws  of 
the  watchful  dog  below. 

"  In  Abe's  opinion  Pompo  would  have  '  treed'  his  'coon  before 
reaching  the  bottom,  had  not  the  fence  interfered,  but  now — 

"'Told  ye  so,  massa!'  muttered  he,  interrupting  my  thoughts. 
'Look  dar  1  dar's  de  tree — trunk  thick  as  a  haystack !  Wagh  !' 

"  I  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  my  companion.  I  saw 
Pompo  standing  by  the  root  of  a  very  large  tree,  looking 
upward,  shaking  his  tail,  and  barking  at  intervals.  Before  I 
had  time  to  make  any  farther  observations  Abe's  voice  again 
sounded  in  my  ears. 

"  '  Gollies  1  it  am  a  buttonwood  !  Why,  Pomp,  old  fellur, 
you  hab  made  a  mistake — de  varmint  ain't  dar.  'Cooney  nebber 
trees  upon  buttonwood — nebber— you  oughter  know  better'n  dat, 
ole  fool ! ' 

"  Abe's  speech  drew  my  attention  to  the  tree.  I  saw  that  it 
was  the  American  sycamore  (Platanus  Ocddentalis) ,  familiarly 
known  by  the  trivial  name,  '  buttonwood,'  from  the  use  to  which 
its  wood  is  sometimes  put.  But  why  should  the  'coon  not 
'  tree '  upon  it,  as  well  as  any  other  ?  I  put  the  question  to  my 
companion. 

"  '  'Cause,  massa,  its  bark  am  slippery.  De  varmint  nebber 
takes  to  'im.  He  likes  de  oak  an'  de  poplum,  an'  de  scaly-bark. 
Gosh  !  but  he  am  dar  !'  continued  Abe,  raising  his  voice,  and 
looking  outward — '  Look  yonder,  massa  !  He  had  climb  by  de 
great  vine.  Dat's  right,  Pomp  !  you  am  right  after  all,  and  dis 
nigga's  a  fool.  Hee — up,  ole  dog  !  bee — up  ! ' 

Following  the  direction  in  which  Abe  pointed,  my  eyes  rested 
on  a  huge  parasite  of  the  lliana  kind,  that,  rising  out  of  the 
ground  at  some  distance,  slanted  upwards  and  joined  the  syca 
more  near  its  top.  This  had  no  doubt  heen  the  ladder  by  which 
the  'coon  had  climbed. 

"  This  discovery,  however,  did  not  mend  the  matter  as  far  as 


A   'COON    CHASE.  105 

we  were  concerned.  The  'coon  had  got  into  the  buttonwood, 
fifty  feet  from  the  ground,  where  the  tree  had  been  broken  off 
by  the  lightning  or  the  wind,  and  where  the  mouth  of  a  large 
cavity  was  distinctly  visible  by  the  light  of  the  moon.  The 
trunk  was  one  of  the  largest,  and  it  would  have  been  sheer  folly 
(so  we  concluded^  to  have  attempted  felling  it. 

"We  left  the  spot  without  further  ado,  and  took  our  way 
back  to  the  corn-field. 

"  The  dog  had  now  been  silent  for  some  time,  and  we  were  in 
hopes  that  another  '  varmint '  might  have  stolen  into  the  corn. 

"  Our  hopes  were  not  doomed  to  disappointment.     Pompo 

had  scarcely  entered  the  field  when  a  second  'coon  was  sprung, 

which,  like  the  other,  ran  directly  for  the  fence  and  the  woods. 

"  Pomp  followed  as  fast  as  he  could  be  flung  over  ;  and  this 

'coon  was  also  '  treed '  in  a  few  minutes. 

"  From  the  direction  of  the  barking,  we  calculated  that  it 
must  be  near  where  the  other  had  escaped  us  ;  but  our  aston 
ishment  equalled  our  chagrin,  when  arriving  at  the  spot,  we 
found  that  both  the  '  varmints '  had  taken  to  the  same 
tree  I 

"  With  some  rather  emphatic  ejaculations  we  returned  to  the 
corn-field,  and  after  a  short  while  a  third  'coon  was  raised,  which 
like  the  others,  made  of  course  for  the  timber. 

"  Pomp  ran  upon  his  trail  with  an  angry  yelping,  that  soon 
changed  into  the  well-known  signal  that  he  had  treed  the 
game. 

"  We  ran  after,  through  the'  brush  and  brake,  and  soon  came 
up  with  the  dog.  If  our  astonishment  was  great  before,  it  was 
now  beyond  bounds.  The  identical  buttonwood  with  its  para 
site  was  before -us,  the  dog  barking  at  its  foot  !  The  third 
'coon  had  taken  shelter  in  its  capacious  cavity. 

"  '  Wagh  !  massa  ! '  ejaculated  Abe,  in  a  voice  of  terror,  'its 
de  same  varmint.  It  aint  no  'coon,  its  de  debil !  For  de  lub  o* 
God,  massa,  let  us  get  away  from  here  1 ; 

5* 


106  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  Of  course  I  followed  his  advice,  as  to  get  at  the  'coons  was 
out  of  the  question. 

"We  returned  once  more  to  the  corn-field,  but  we  found  that 
we  had  at  last  cleared  it  of  'coons.  It  was  still  early,  however, 
and  I  was  determined  not  to  give  up  the  chase  till  I  had  assisted 
in  killing  a  'coon.  By  Abe's  advice,  therefore,  we  struck  into 
the  woods  with  the  intention  of  making  a  circuit  where  the  trees 
were  small.  Some  'coon  might  be  prowling  there  in  search  of 
birds'  nests.  So  thought  Abe. 

"  He  was  right  in  his  conjecture.  A  fourth  was  started, 
and  off  went  Pompo  after  him.  In  a  few  minutes  the  quick  con 
stant  bark  echoed  back.  This  time  we  were  sure,  from  the 
direction,  in  a  new  tree. 

"  It  proved  to  be  so,  and  such  a  small  one  that,  on  coming  up, 
we  saw  the  animal  squatted  upon  the  branches,  not  twenty  feet 
from  the  ground. 

"  We  were  now  sure  of  him,  as  we  thought  ;  and  I  had  raised 
rny  gun  to  fire  ;  when  all  at  once,  as  if  guessing  my  intent, 
the  'coon  sprang  into  another  tree,  and  then  ran  down  to  the 
ground  and  off  again,  with  Pompo  yelling  in  his  track. 

11  Of  course  we  expected  that  the  dog  would  speedily  tree 
him  again,  which  after  a  few  minutes  he  did,  but  this  time  in 
the  heavy  timber. 

"  We  hastened  forward,  guided  by  the  barking.  To  the 
extreme  of  my  astonishment,  and  I  fancy  to  the  very  extreme 
of  Abe's  terror,  we  again  found  ourselves  at  the  foot  of  the  but 
ton  wood. 

"  Abe's  wool  stood  on  end.  Superstition  was  the  butt  end 
of  his  religion  ;  and  he  not  only  protested,  but  I  am  satisfied 
that  he  believed  that  all  the  four  'coons  were  one  and  the  same 
individual,  and  that  individual  '  de  debil.' 

"  Great  'coon  hunter  as  he  was,  he  would  now  have  gone 
home,  if  I  had  let  him.  But  I  had  no  thoughts  of  giving  up  the 
matter  in  that  easy  way.  I  was  roused  by  the  repeated  disap- 


A   'COON    CHASE.  107 

pointment.  A  new  resolve  had  entered  my  mind.  I  was 
determined  to  get  the  'coons  out  of  the  buttonwood,  cost  what  it 
might.  The  tree  must  come  down,  if  it  should  take  us  till  mor 
ning  to  fell  it. 

"  With  this  determination  I  caught  hold  of  Abe's  axe,  and 
struck  the  first  blow.  To  my  surprise  and  delight  the  tree 
sounded  hollow.  I  repeated  the  stroke.  The  sharp  axe  went 
crashing  inwards.  The  tree  was  hollow  to  the  ground  ;  on  the 
side  where  I  had  commenced  chopping,  it  was  but  a  shell. 

"A  few  more  blows,  and  I  had  made  a  hole  large  enough  to 
put  a  head  through.  Felling  such  a  tree  would  be  no  great  job 
after  all,  and  I  saw  that  it  would  hardly  occupy  an  hour.  The 
tree  must  come  down. 

"Abe  seeing  me  so  resolute,  had  somewhat  recovered  his 
courage  and  his  senses,  and  now  laid  hold  of  the  axe.  Abe  was 
a  '  first  hand'  at  *  chopping,'  and  the  hole  soon  gaped  wider. 

"  '  If  de  hole  run  clar  up,  massa,'  said  he,  resting  for  a 
moment,  '  we  can  smoke  out  de  varmint — wid  de  punk  and  de 
grass  here  we  can  smoke  out  de  debil  himself.  S'pose  we  try  'im, 
massa  ? ' 

"  '  Good  I '  cried  I,  catching  at  Abe's  suggestion  ;  and  in  a 
few  minutes  we  had  made  a  fire  in  the  hole,  and  covered  it  with 
leaves,  grass,  and  weeds. 

"  The  smoke  soon  did  its  work.  We  saw  it  ooze  out  above  at 
the  entrance  of  the  'coon's  hole — at  first  in  a  slight  filmy  stream, 
and  then  in  thick  volumes.  We  heard  a  scraping  and  rattling 
within  the  hollow  trunk,  and  a  moment  after  a  dark  object 
sprang  out  upon  the  lliana,  and  ran  a  short  way  downward. 
Another  followed,  and  another,  and  another,  until  a  string  of 
no  less  than  six  raccoons  squatted  along  the  parasite,  threaten 
ing  to  run  downward  ! 

"  The  scene  that  followed  was  indescribable.  I  had  seized  my 
gun,  and  both  barrels  were  emptied  in  a  'squirrel's  jump.7 
Two  of  the  'coons  came  to  the  ground,  badly  wounded.  Pompo 


108  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

tackled  another,  that  had  run  down  the  lliana,  and  was  attempt 
ing  to  get  off ;  while  Abe  with  his  axe  clove  the  scull  of  a 
fourth,  that  had  tried  to  escape  in  a  similar  manner. 

"  The  other  two  ran  back  into  the/  funnel,'  but  only  to  come 
out  again  just  in  time  to  receive  a  shot  each  from  the  reloaded 
gun,  which  brought  both  of  them  tumbling  from  the  tree.  We 
succeeded  in  bagging  the  whole  family  ;  and  thus  finished  what 
Abe  declared  to  be  the  greatest  *  'coon  chase  on  de  record.' 

"  As  it  was  by  this  time  far  in  the  night,  we  gathered  up  our 
game,  and  took  the  '  back  track  to  hum.' " 


CHAPTER  XIY. 

WILD    HOGS    OF  THE   WOODS. 

NEXT  day  while  threading  our  way  through  a  patch  of  oak 
forest — the  ground  covered  thickly  with  fallen  leaves — we  were 
startled  by  a  peculiar  noise  in  front  of  us.  It  was  a  kind  of  bel 
lows-like  snort,  exactly  like  that  made  by  the  domestic  swine 
when  suddenly  affrighted. 

Some  of  the  party  cried  out  "bear,"  and  of  course  this 
announcement  threw  us  all  into  a  high  state  of  excitement. 
Even  the  buffalo  itself  would  be  but  secondary  game,  when  a 
bear  was  upon  the  ground. 

The  "  snuff"  of  the  bear  has  a  very  considerable  resemblance 
to  that  of  the  terrified  hogs,  and  even  our  guides  were  deceived. 
They  thought  it  might  be  "  bar  "  we  had  heard. 

It  proved  we  were  all  wrong.  No  wonder  we  fancied  the 
noise  resembled  that  made  by  hogs.  The  animal  that  uttered  it 
was  nothing  else  than  a  wild  boar. 

"  What  1"  you  will  exclaim,  "  a  wild  boar  in  the  forests  of 
Missouri  ?  Oh  I  a  peccary  I  suppose." 


WILD    HOGS    OF   THE    WOODS.  109 

No,  not  a  peccary  ;  for  these  creatures  do  not  range  so  far 
north  as  the  latitude  of  Missouri — not  a  wild  boar,  neither,  if 
you  restrict  the  meaning  of  the  phrase  to  the  true  indigenous 
animal  of  that  kind.  For  all  that,  it  was  a  wild  boar,  or  rather 
a  boar  run  wild.  Wild  enough  and  savage  too  it  appeared, 
although  we  had  only  a  glimpse  of  its  shaggy  form  as  it  dashed 
into  the  ticket  with  a  loud  grunt.  Half  a  dozen  shots  followed 
it.  No  doubt  it  was  tickled  with  some  of  the  "leaden  hail" 
from  the  double-barrelled  guns,  but  it  contrived  to  escape,  leav 
ing  us  only  the  incident  as  a  subject  for  conversation. 

Throughout  the  backwoods  -there  are  large  numbers  of  half- 
wild  hogs,  but  they  are  usually  the  denizens  of  woods  that  are 
inclosed  by  a  rail  fence,  and  therefore  private  property.  One 
part  of  the  year  they  are  tamer,  when  a  scarcity  of  food  renders 
it  necessary  for  them  to  approach  the  owner's  house,  and  eat  the 
corn  placed  for  them  in  a  well-known  spot.  At  this  season  they 
answer  to  a  call  somewhat  similar  to  the  "  milk  oh  1"  of  the 
London  dairyman,  but  loud  enough  to  be  heard  a  mile  or 
more  through  the  woods.  A  traveller  passing  through  the  back 
woods'  settlements  will  often  hear  this  singular  call  sounding 
afar  off  in  the  stillness  of  the  evening. 

These  hogs  pick  up  most  of  their  subsistence  in  the  forest. 
The  "  mast "  of  the  beech-tree,  the  nut  of  the  hickory,  the  fruit 
of  the  Chinquapin  oak,  the  acorn,  and  many  other  seeds  and 
berries,  furnish  them  with  food.  Many  roots  besides,  and 
grasses,  contribute  to  sustain  them,  and  they  make  an  occasional 
meal  off  a  snake  whenever  they  can  get  hold  of  one.  Indeed  it 
may  be  safely  asserted,  that  no  other  cause  has  contributed  so 
much  to  the  destruction  of  these  reptiles,  as  the  introduction  of 
the  domestic  hog  into  the  forests  of  America.  Wherever  a 
track  of  woods  has  been  used  as  the  "run"  of  a  drove  of  hogs, 
serpents  of  every  kind  become  exceedingly  scarce,  and  you  may 
hunt  through  such  a  tract  for  weeks  without  seeing  one.  The 
hog  seems  to  have  the  strongest  antipathy  to  the  snake  tribe  ; 


110 

without  the  least  fear  of  them.  When  one  of  the  latter  is  dis 
covered  by  a  hog,  and  DO  crevice  in  the  rocks,  or  hollow  log,  offers 
it  a  shelter,  its  destruction  is  inevitable.  The  hog  rushes  to  the 
spot,  and,  bounding  forward,  crushes  the  reptile  under  his  hoofs. 
Should  the  first  attempt  not  succeed,  and  the  serpent  glide 
away,  the  hog  nimbly  follows,  and  repeats  his  efforts  until  the 
victim  lies  helpless.  The  victor  then  goes  to  work  with  his 
powerful  jaws,  and  quietly  devours  the  prey. 

The  fondness  of  the  hog  for  this  species  of  food  proves  that 
in  a  state  of  nature  it  is  partially  a  carnivorous  animal.  The 
peccary,  which  is  the  true  representative  of  the  wild  hog  in 
America — has  the  very  same  habit,  and  is  well  known  to  be  one 
of  the  most  fatal  enemies  of  the  serpent  tribe  to  be  found  among 
American  animals. 

The  hog  shows  no  fear  of  the  snake.  His  thick  hide  seems  to 
protect  him.  The  "  skin ';  of  the  rattlesnake  and  the  "  hiss  "  of 
the  deadly  "moccassin,"  are  alike  unheeded  by  him.  He  kills 
them  as  easily  as  he  does  the  innocent  " chicken  snake"  or  the 
black  constrictor.  The  latter  often  escapes  from  its  dreaded 
enemy  by  taking  to  a  bush  or  tree  ;  but  the  rattlesnake  and 
the  moccassin  are  not  tree-climbers,  and  either  hide  themselves 
in  the  herbage  and  dead  leaves,  or  retreat  to  their  holers. 

It  is  not  true  that  the  hog  eats  the  body  of  the  snake  he  has 
killed,  leaving  the  head  untouched,  and  thus  avoiding  the 
poisoned  fangs.  He  devours  the  whole  of  the  creature,  head 
and  all.  The  venom  of  the  snake,  like  the  "curari"  poison  of 
the  South  American  Indians,  is  only  effective  when  coming  in 
contact  with  the  blood.  Taken  internally  its  effects  are  innox 
ious — indeed  there  are  those  who  believe  it  to  be  beneficial,  and 
the  curari  is  often  swallowedjas  a  medicine. 

Most  of  this  information  about  the  half-wild  hogs  of  the  back 
woods  was  given  by  our  Kentucky  comrade,  who  himself  was 
the  proprietor  of  many  hundreds  of  them.  An  annual  hog-hunt 
was  part  of  the  routine  of  his  life.  It  was  undertaken  not 


WILD   HOGS    OF   THE   WOODS.  Ill 

merely  for  the  sport  of  the  thing — though  that  was  by  no  means 
to  be  despised — and  the  season  of  the  hog-hunting  is  looked 
forward  to  with  pleasant  anticipation  by  the  domestics  of  the 
plantation,  as  well  as  a  few  select  friends  or  neighbours  who  are 
invited  to  participate  in  it. 

When  the  time  arrives,  the  proprietor,  with  his  pack  of  hounds, 
and  accompanied  by  a  party  mounted  and  armed  with  rifles, 
enters  the  large  tract  of  woodland — perhaps  miles  in  extent, 
and  in  many  places  covered  with  canebrakes  and  almost  impe 
netrable  thickets  of  undergrowth.  To  such  places  the  hogs  fly 
for  shelter,  but  the  dogs  can  penetrate  wherever  hogs  can  go  ; 
and  of  course  the  latter  are  soon  driven  out,  and  forced  into  the 
more  open  ground,  where  the  mounted  men  are  waiting  to 
receive  them  with  a  volley  of  bullets.  Sometimes  a  keen  pur 
suit  follows,  and  the  dogs  in  full  cry  are  carried  across  the 
country,  over  huge  logs,  and  through  thickets  and  ravines, 
followed  by  the  horsemen — just  as  if  an  old  fox  was  the  game 
pursued. 

A  large  waggon  with  drivers  and  attendants  follows  the  chase, 
and  in  this  the  killed  are  deposited,  to  be  "  hauled  "  home  when 
the  hunt  is  over. 

This,  however,  continues  for  several  days,  until  all,  or  at  least 
all  the  larger  hogs,  are  collected  and  brought  home,  and  then  the 
sport  terminates.  The  produce  of  the  hunt  sometimes  amounts 
to  hundreds — according  to  the  wealth  of  the  proprietor.  Of 
course  a  scene  of  slaughtering  and  bacon-curing  follows.  A 
part  of  the  bacon  furnishes  the  "  smoke-house  "  for  home  con 
sumption  during  the  winter  ;  while  the  larger  part  finds  its  way 
to  the  great  pork-market  of  Cincinnati. 

The  Kentuckian  related  to  us  a  curious  incident  illustrating 
the  instinct  of  the  swinish  quadruped  ;  but  which  to  his  mind,  as 
well  as  to  ours,  seemed  more  like  a  proof  of  a  rational  principle 
possessed  by  the  animal.  The  incident  he  had  himself  been 
witness  to,  and  in  his  own  woodlands.  He  related  it  thus  : — 


112  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  I  had  strayed  into  the  woods  in  search  of  a  wild  turkey, 
with  nothing  but  my  shot  gun,  and  having  tramped  about  a  good 
bit,  I  sat  down  upon  a  log  to  rest  myself.  I  had  not  been 
seated  five  minutes  when  I  heard  a  rustling  among  the  dead 
leaves  in  front  of  me.  I  thought  it  might  be  a  deer,  and  raised 
my  gun  ;  but  I  was  greatly  disappointed  on  seeing  some  half 
dozen  of  my  own  hogs  make  their  appearance,  rooting  as  they 
went  along. 

"  I  paid  no  more  heed  to  them  at  the  time  ;  but  a  few 
minutes  after,  my  attention  was  again  drawn  to  them,  by  seeing 
them  make  a  sudden  rush  across  a  piece  of  open  ground,  as  if 
they  were  in  pursuit  of  something. 

"  Sure  enough  they  were.  Just  before  their  snouts,  I  espied 
the  long  shining  body  of  a  black  snake  doing  its  best  to  get  out 
of  their  way.  In  tbis  it  succeeded,  for  the  next  moment  I  saw  it 
twisting  itself  up  a  pawpaw  sapling,  until  it  had  reached  the 
top  branches,  were  it  remained  looking  down  at  its  pursuers. 

"  The  snake  may  have  fancied  itself  secure  at  the  moment, 
and  so  thought  I,  at  least  so  far  as  the  hogs  were  concerned. 
I  had  made  up  my  mind  to  be  its  destroyer  myself,  and  was 
just  about  to  sprinkle  it  with  shot,  when  a  movement  on  the 
part  of  one  of  the  hogs  caused  me  to  hold  back  and  remain 
quiet.  I  need  not  tell  you  I  was  considerably  astonished  to  see 
the  foremost  of  these  animals  seize  the  sapling  in  its  jaws  and 
jerk  it  about  in  a  determined  manner,  as  if  with  the  intention  of 
shaking  off  the  snake  I  Of  course  it  did  not  succeed  in  this, 
for  the  latter  was  wound  around  the  branches,  and  it  would 
have  been  as  easy  to  haVe  shaken  off  the  bark. 

"  As  you  all  know,  gentlemen,  the  pawpaw — not  the  pawpaw 
( Carica  papaya),  but  a  small  tree  of  the  anonas  or  custard 
apple  tribe,  common  in  the  woods  of  western  America — is  one 
of  the  softest  and  most  brittle  of  our  trees,  and  the  hog  seemed 
to  have  discovered  this,  for  he  suddenly  changed  his  tactics, 
and  instead  of  shaking  at  the  sapling,  commenced  grinding  it 


TREED    BY   PECCARIES.  113 

between  his  powerful  jaws.  The  others  assisted  him,  and  the 
tree  fell  in  a  few  seconds.  As  soon  as  the  top  branches  touched 
the  ground,  the  whole  drove  dashed  forward  at  the  snake  :  and 
in  less  than  the  time  I  take  in  telling  it,  the  creature  was 
crushed  and  devoured." 

After  hearing  the  singular  tale,  our  conversation  now  returned 
to  the  hog  we  had  just  "jumped."  All  agreed  that  it  must  be 
some  stray  from  the  plantations  that  had  wandered  thus  far 
from  the  haunts  of  men,  for  there  was  no  settlement  within 
twenty  miles  of  where  we  then  were. 

Our  trapper  guides  stated  that  wild  hogs  are  frequently  found 
in  remote  parts,  and  that  many  of  them  are  not  "  strays/7  but 
have  been  "littered"  and  brought  up  in  the  forest.  These  are 
as  shy  and  difficult  to  approach  as  deer,  or  any  other  hunted 
animals.  They  are  generally  of  a  small  breed,  and  it  is  sup 
posed  that  they  are  identical  with  the  species  found  throughout 
Mexico,  and  introduced  by  the  Spaniards. 


CHAPTER    XY. 

TREED     BY     PECCARIES. 

TALKING  of  these  Spanish  hogs  naturally  led  us  to  the  subject 
of  the  peccary — for  this  creature  is  an  inhabitant  only  of  those 
parts  of  North  America  which  have  been  hitherto  in  possession 
of  the  Spanish  race.  Of  the  peccary  (dicotyles),  there  are  two 
distinct  species  known — the  "  collared,"  and  the  "  white-lipped." 
In  form  and  habits  they  are  very  similar  to  each  other.  In 
size  and  colour  they  differ.  The  "  white-lipped"  is  the  larger. 
Its  colour  is  dark  brown,  nearly  black,  while  that  of  the  collared 
peccary  is  a  uniform  iron-grey,  with  the  exception  of  the  band 
or  collar  upon  its  shoulders. 


114 

The  distinctive  markings  are,  on  the  former  species  a  greyish- 
white  patch  along  the  jaws,  and  on  the  other  a  yellowish- 
white  belt  embracing  the  neck  and  shoulders,  as  a  collar  does  a 
horse.  These  markings  have  given  to  each  its  specific  name. 
They  are  farther  distinguished,  by  the  forehead  of  the  white- 
lipped  peccary  being  more  hollowed  or  concave  than  that  of  its 
congener. 

In  most  other  respects  these  creatures  are  alike.  Both  feed 
upon  roots,  fruits,  frogs,  toads,  lizards,  and  snakes.  Both  make 
their  lair  in  hollow  logs,  or  in  caves  among  the  rocks,  and  both 
are  gregarious  in  their  habits.  In  this  last  habit,  however, 
they  exhibit  some  difference.  The  white-lipped  species  associate 
in  troops  to  the  number  of  hundreds,  and  even  as  many  as  a 
thousand  have  been  seen  together  ;  whereas  the  others  do  not 
live  in  such  large  droves,  but  are  oftener  met  with  in  pairs. 
Yet  this  difference  of  habit  may  arise  from  the  fact  that 
in  the  places  where  both  have  been  observed,  the  latter 
have  not  been  so  plentiful  as  the  white-lipped  species.  As 
many  as  a  hundred  of  the  collared  peccary  have  been  observed 
in  one  "gang,"  and  no  doubt  had  there  been  more  of 
them  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  flock  would  have  been  still 
larger. 

The  white-lipped  species  does  not  extend  to  the  northern  half 
of  the  American  Continent.  Its  habitat  is  in  the  great  tropical 
forests  of  Guyana  and  Brazil,  and  it  is  found  much  farther  south, 
being  common  in  Paraguay.  It  is  there  known  as  the  "  vaquira," 
whence  our  word  "  peccary."  The  other  species  is  also  found 
in  South  America,  and  is  distinguished  as  the  "  vaquira  de 
collar"  ( collared  peccary).  Of  course,  they  both  have  trivial 
Indian  names,  differing  in  different  parts  of  the  country.  The 
former  is  called  in  Paraguay  "  Tagnicati,"  while  the  latter  is 
the  "  Taytetou." 

Neither  species  is  so  numerous  as  they  were  in  former  times. 
They  have  been  thinned  off  by  hunting — not  for  the  value  either 


TREED    BY   PECCARIES.  115 

of  their  flesh  or  their  skins,  nor  for  the  "mere  sport  either,  but 
on  account  of  their  destructive  habits.  In  the  neighbourhood 
of  settlements  they  make  frequent  forays  into  the  maize  and 
mandioc  fields,  and  they  will  lay  waste  a  plantation  of  sugar 
cane  in  a  single  night.  For  this  reason  it  is  that  a  war  of 
extermination  has  long  been  waged  against  them  by  the  planters 
and  their  dependents. 

As  already  stated,  it  is  believed  that  the  white-lipped  species 
is  not  found  in  North  America.  Probably  it  does  exist  in  the 
forests  of  Southern  Mexico.  The  natural  history  of  these 
countries  is  yet  to  be  thoroughly  investigated.  The  Mexicans 
have  unfortunately  "employed  all  their  time  in  making  revolutions. 
But  a  new  period  has  arrived.  The  Panama  railroad,  the  Nica 
ragua  canal,  and  the  route  of  Tehuantepec,  will  soon  be  open, 
when  among  the  foremost  who  traverse  these  hitherto  unfre 
quented  regions,  will  be  found  troops  of  naturalists,  of  the 
Audubon  school,  who  will  explore  every  nook  and  corner  of 
Central  America.  Indeed,  already  some  progress  has  been 
made  in  this  respect. 

The  two  species  of  peccaries,  although  so  much  alike,  never 
associate  together,  and  do  not  seem  to  have  any  knowledge  of  a 
relationship  existing  between  them.  Indeed,  what  is  very  singu 
lar,  they  are  never  found  in  the  same  tract  of  woods.  A  district 
frequented  by  the  one  is  always  without  the  other. 

The  Collared  Peccary  is  the  species  found  in  North  America  ; 
and  of  it  we  more  particularly  speak.  It  is  met  with  when  you 
approach  the  more  southern  latitudes  westward  of  the  Mississippi 
River.  In  that  great  wing  of  the  continent,  to  the  eastward  of 
this  river,  and  now  occupied  by  the  United  States,  no  such 
animal  exists,  nor  is  there  any  proof  that  it  was  ever  known  to 
exist  there  in  its  wild  state.  In  the  territory  of  Texas,  it  is  a 
common  animal,  and  its  range  extends  westward  to  the  Pacific, 
and  south  throughout  the  remainder  of  the  Continent. 

As  you  proceed  westwards,  the  line  of  its  range  rises  con- 


116  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

siderably  ;  and  in  New  Mexico  it  is  met  with  as  high  as  the 
33rd  parallel.  This  is  just  following  the  isothermal  line,  and 
proves  that  the  peccary  cannot  endure  the  rigours  of  a  severe 
winter  climate.  It  is  a  production  of  the  tropics  and  the 
countries  adjacent. 

Some  naturalists  assert  that  it  is  a  forest-dwelling  animal,  and 
is  never  seen  in  open  countries.  Others,  as  Buffon,  state  that 
it  makes  its  habitat  in  the  mountains,  never  the  low  countries 
and  plains  ;  while  still  others  have  declared  .that  it  is  never 
found  in  the  mountains  ! 

None" of  these  "  theories"  appears  to  be  the  correct  one.  It 
is  well  known  to  frequent  the  forest-covered  plains  of  Texas, 
and  Emory  (one  of  the  most  talented  of  modern  observers) 
reports  having  met  with  a  large  drove  of  peccaries  in  the  almost 
treeless  mountains  of  New  Mexico.  The  fact  is,  the  peccary  is 
a  wide  "ranger,"  and  frequents  either  plains  or  mountains  wher 
ever  he  can  find  the  roots  or  fruits  which  constitute  his  natural 
food.  The  haunts  he  likes  best  appear  to  be  the  dry  hilly  woods, 
where  he  finds  several  species  of  nuts  to  his  taste — such  as  the 
chinquapin  (  Castanea  pumila),  the  pecan  (Juglams  olivceformis), 
and  the  acorns  of  several  species  of  oak,  with  which  the  half- 
prairie  country  of  western  Texas  abounds. 

Farther  than  to  eat  their  fruit,  the  forest  trees  are  of  no  use 
to  the  peccary.  He  is  not  a  climber,  as  he  is  a  hoofed  animal. 
But  in  the  absence  of  rocks,  or  crevices  in  the  cliffs,  he  makes 
his  lair  in  the  bottoms  of  hollow  trees,  or  in  the  great  cavities 
so  common  in  half-decayed  logs.  He  prefers,  however,  a  habita 
tion  among  rocks,  as  experience  has,  no  doubt,  taught  him  that 
it  is  a  safer  retreat  both  from  hunters  and  fire. 

The  peccary  is  easily  distinguished  from  the  other  forest 
animals  by  his  rounded,  hog-like  form,  and  long,  sharp  snout. 
Although  pig-shaped,  he  is  extremely  active  and  light  in  his 
movements.  The  absence  of  a  tail — for  that  member  is  repre 
sented  only  by  a  very  small  protuberance  or  "  knob" — imparts 


TREED    BY    PECCARIES.  lit 

a  character  of  lightness  to  his  body.  His  jaws  are  those  of  the 
hog,  and  a  single  pair  of  tusks,  protruding  near  the  angles  of  the 
mouth,  gives  him  a  fierce  and  dangerous  aspect.  These  tusks 
are  seen  in  the  old  males  or  "  boars."  The  ears  are  short,  and 
almost  buried  in  the  long  harsh  hairs  or  bristles  that  cover  the 
whole  body,  but  which  are  much  longer  on  the  back.  These, 
when  erected  or  thrown  forward — as  is  the  case  when  the 
peccary  is  incensed — have  the  appearance  of  a  stiff  mane  rising 
all  along  the  neck,  shoulders  and  spine.  At  such  times,  indeed, 
the  rigid,  bristling  coat  over  the  whole  body  gives  somewhat  of 
a  porcupine  appearance  to  the  animal. 

The  peccary,  as  already  stated,  is  gregarious.  They  wander 
in  droves  of  twenty,  or  sometimes  more.  This,  however,  is  only 
in  the  winter.  In  the  season  of  love,  and  during  the  period  of 
gestation,  they  are  met  with  only  in  pairs — a  male  and  female. 
They  are  very  true  to  each  other,  and  keep  close  together. 

The  female  produces  two  young  at  a  litter.  These  are  of  a 
reddish-brown  colour,  and  at  first  not  larger  than  young  pup 
pies  ;  but  they  are  soon  able  to  follow  the  mother  through  the 
woods ;  and  then  the  "  family  party "  usually  consists  of 
four. 

Later  in  the  season,  several  of  these  families  unite  and  remain 
together,  partly,  perhaps,  from  having  met  by  accident,  and 
partly  for  mutual  protection  ;  for  whenever  one  of  their  number 
is  attacked,  all  the  drove  takes  part  against  the  assailant, 
whether  he  be  hunter,  cougar,  or  lynx.  As  they  use  both  their 
teeth,  tusks,  and  sharp  fore-hoofs  with  rapidity  and  effect,  they 
become  a  formidable  and  dangerous  enemy. 

The  cougar  is  often  killed  and  torn  to  pieces  by  a  drove  of 
peccaries,  that  he  has  been  imprudent  enough  to  attack. 
Indeed,  this  fierce  creature  will  not  often  meddle  with  the 
peccaries  when  he  sees  them  in  large  numbers.  He  attacks 
only  single  ones  ;  but  their  "  grunting,"  which  can  be  heard  to 
the  distance  of  nearly  a  mile,  summons  the  rest,  and  he  is  sur- 


118 


rounded  before  he  is  aware  of  it,  and  seized  by  as  many  as  can 
get  around  him. 

The  Texan  hunter,  if  afoot,  will  not  dare  to  disturb  a  drove 
of  peccaries.  Even  when  mounted,  unless  the  woods  be  open, 
he  will  pass  them  by  without  rousing  their  resentment.  But, 
for  all  this*  the  animal  is  hunted  by  the  settlers,  and  hundreds 
are  killed  annually.  Their  ravages  committed  upon  the  corn 
fields  make  them  many  enemies,  who  go  after  them  with  a 
desire  for  wholesale  slaughter. 

Hounds  are  employed  to  track  the  peccary  and  bring  it  to 
bay,  when  the  hunters  ride  up  and  finish  the  chase  by  their 
unerring  rifles. 

A  flock  of  peccaries,  when  pursued,  will  sometimes  take  shel 
ter  in  a  cave  or  cleft  of  the  rocks,  one  of  their  number  standing 
ready  at  the  mouth.  When  this  one  is  shot  by  the  hunter, 
another  will  immediately  rush  out  and  take  its  place.  This,  too, 
being  destroyed,  will  be  replaced  by  a  third,  and  so  on  until  the 
whole  drove  has  fallen. 

Should  the  hounds  attack  the  peccary  while  by  themselves, 
and  without  the  aid  arid  encouragement  of  the  hunter,  they  are 
sure  to  be  "routed,"  and  some  of  their  number  destroyed. 
Indeed,  this  little  creature,  of  not  more  than  two  feet  in  length, 
is  a  match  for  the  stoutest  bull-dog!  I  have  myself  seen  a  pec 
cary  (a  caged  one,  too,)  that  had  killed  no  less  than  six  dogs 
of  bull  and  mastiff  breed — all  of  them  considered  fighting  dogs 
of  first-rate  reputation. 

The  Kentuckian  had  a  peccary  adventure  which  had  occurred 
to  him  while  on  an  excursion  to  the  new  settlements  of  Texas. 
"  It  was  my  first  introduction  to  these  animals,"  began  he, 
"  and  I  am  not  likely  soon  to  forget  it.  It  gave  me,  among  the 
frontier  settlers  of  Texas,  the  reputation  of  a  'mighty  hunter,' 
though  how  far  I  deserved  that  name  you  may  judge  for 
yourselves. 

"  I  was  for  some  weeks  the  guest  of  a  farmer  or  '  planter/ 


TREED    BY    PECCARIES.  119 

who  lived  upon  the  Trinity  Bottom.  We  had  been  out  in  the 
'timber7  several  times,  and  had  killed  both  bear,  deer,  and 
turkeys,  but  had  not  yet  had  the  luck  to  fall  in  with  the  peccary, 
although  we  never  went  abroad  without  seeing  their  tracks,  or 
some  other  indications  of  what  my  friend  termed  '  peccary  sign.7 
The  truth  is.  that  these  animals  possess  the  sense  of  smell  in  the 
keenest  degree,  and  they  are  usually  hidden  long  before  the 
hunter  can  see  them  or  come  near  them.  As  we  had  gone  with 
out  clogs,  of  course  we  were  not  likely  to  discover  which  of  the 
nine  hundred  and  ninety-nine  hollow  logs  passed  in  a  day,  was 
the  precise  one  in  which  the  peccaries  had  taken  shelter. 

"  I  had  grown  very  curious  about  these  creatures.  Bear  I 
had  often  hunted — deer  I  had  driven,  and  turkeys  I  had  both 
trapped  and  shot ;  but  I  had  never  yet  killed  a  peccary  ;  in  fact 
had  never  seen  one.  I  was,  therefore,  very  desirous  of  adding 
the  tusk  of  one  of  these  wild  boars  to  my  trophies  of  the  chase. 

"My  desire  was  gratified  sooner  than  I  expected,  and  to  an 
extent  I  had  never  dreamt  of ;  for  in  one  morning — before  tast 
ing  my  breakfast — I  caused  no  less  than  nineteen  of  these 
animals  to  utter  their  last  squeak  I  But  I  shall  give  the  details 
of  this  '  feat '  as  they  happened. 

"  It  was  in  the  autumn  season — the  most  beautiful  season  of 
the  forest — when  the  frond  age  obtains  its  tints  of  gold,  orange, 
and  purple.  I  was  a-bed  in  the  house  of  my  friend,  but  was 
awakened  out  of  my  sleep  by  the  *  gobbling '  of  wild  turkeys 
that  sounded  close  to  the  place. 

"  Although  there  was  not  a  window  in  my  room,  the  yellow 
beams  streaming  in  through  the  chinks  of  the  log  wall,  told  me 
that'  it  was  after  '  sun-up.' 

"  I  arose,  drew  on  my  garments  and  hunting  habiliments, 
took  my  rifle  and  stole  out.  I  said  nothing  to  any  one,  as  there 
was  no  one — neither  '  nigger '  nor  white  man — to  be  seen  stir 
ring  about  the  >place.  I  wanted  to  steal  a  march  upon  my 
friend,  and  show  him  how  smart  I  was  by  bagging  a  fat  young 
1  gobbler '  for  breakfast. 


120  THE    HUNTEBS'    FEAST. 

"  As  soon  as  I  had  got  round  the  house,  I  saw  the  turkeys — 
a  large  '  gang '  of  them.  They  were  out  in  an  old  corn-field, 
feeding  upon  such  of  the  seeds  as  had  been  dropped  in  the  coru- 
gathering.  They  were  too  far  off  for  my  gun  to  reach  them, 
and  I  entered  among  the  corn-stalks  to  get  near  them. 

"  I  soon  perceived  that  they  were  feeding  towards  the  woods, 
and  that  they  were  likely  to  enter  them  at  a  certain  point. 
Could  I  only  reach  that  point  before  them,  reflected  I,  I  should 
be  sure  of  a  fair  shot.  I  had  only  to  go  back  to  the  house  and 
keep  around  the  edge  of  the  field,  where  there  happened  to  be 
some  'cover.'  In  this  way  I  should  be  sure  to  '  head'  them— 
that  is,  could  I  but  reach  the  woods  in  time. 

"  I  lost  not  a  moment  in  setting  out  ;  and,  running  most  of 
the  way,  I  reached  the  desired  point. 

"  I  was  now  about  a  mile  from  my  friend's  house — for  the 
corn-field  was  a  very  large  one — such  as  you  may  only  see  in  the 
great  plantations  of  the  far  western  world.  I  saw  that  I  had 
'  headed '  the  turkeys,  with  some  time  to  spare  ;  and  chosiug 
a  convenient  log  I  sat  down  to  await  their  coming.  I  placed 
myself  in  such  a  situation  that  I  was  completely  hidden  by  the 
broad  green  leaves  of  some  bushy  trees  that  grew  over  the 
log. 

"I  had  not  been  in  that  position  over  a  minute,  I  should 
think,  when  a  slight  rustling  among  the  leaves  attracted  mj 
attention.  I  looked,  and  saw  issuing  from  under  the  rubbish 
the  long  body  of  a  snake.  As  yet,  I  could  not  see  its  tail, 
which  was  hidden  by  the  grass ;  but  the  form  of  the  head  and 
the  peculiar  chevron-like  markings  of  the  body,  convinced  me  it 
was  the  '  Banded  Rattle-snake.'  It  was  slowly  gliding  out  intc 
some  open  ground,  with  the  intention  of  crossing  to  a  thicket 
upon  the  other  side.  I  had  disturbed  it  from  the  log  where  ft 
had,  no  doubt,  been  sunning  itself ;  and  it  was  now  making 
away  from  me. 

"  My  first  thought  was  to  follow  the  hideous  reptile,  and  kill 
it ;  but  reflecting  that  if  I  did  so  I  should  expose  myself  to  the 


TREED    BY    PECCARIES.  121 

yiew  of  the  tmrkeys,  I  concluded  to  remain  where  I  was,  and  let 
it  escape. 

"  I  watched  it  slowly  dragging  itself  along — for  this  species 
makes  but  slow  progress — until  it  was  near  the  middle  of  the 
glade,  when  1  again  turned  my  attention  to  the  birds  that  had 
now  advanced  almost  within  range  of  my  gun. 

"  I  was  just  getting  ready  to  fire,  when  a  strange  noise,  like 
the  grunt  of  a  small  pig,  sounded  in  my  ears  from  the  glade, 
and  again  caused  me  to  look  in  that  direction.  As  I  did  so,  my 
eyes  fell  upon  a  curious  little  animal  just  emerging  from  the 
bushes.  Its  long,  sharp  snout — its  pig-like  form — the  absence 
of  a  tail — the  high  rump,  and  whitish  band  along  the  shoulders, 
were  all  marks  of  description  which  I  remembered.  The  animal 
could  be  no  other  than  a  peccary. 

"As  I  gazed  upon  it  with  curious  eyes,  another  emerged 
from  the  bushes,  and  then  another,  and  another,  until  a  good- 
sized  drove  of  them  were  in  sight. 

"  The  rattlesnake,  on  seeing  the  first  one,  had  laid  his  head 
flat  upon  the  ground  ;  and  evidently  terrified,  was  endeavouring 
to  conceal  himself  in  the  grass.  But  it  was  a  smooth  piece  of 
turf,  and  he  did  not  succeed.  The  peccary  had  already  espied 
him  ;  and  upon  the  instant  his  hinder  parts  were  raised  to  their 
full  height,  his  mane  became  rigid,  and  the  hair  over  his  whole 
body  stood  erect,  radiating  on  all  sides  outwards.  The  appear 
ance  of  the  creature  was  changed  in  an  instant,  and  I  could 
perceive  that  the  air  was  becoming  impregnated  with  a  disagree 
able  odour,  which  the  incensed  animal  emitted  from  its  dorsal 
gland.  Without  stopping  longer  than  a  moment,  he  rushed 
forward,  until  he  stood  within  three  feet  of  the  body  of  the  snake. 

"  The  latter,  seeing  he  could  no  longer  conceal  himself,  threw 
himself  into  a  coil,  and  stood  upon  his  defence.  His  eyes  glared 
with  a  fiery  lustre  :  the  skir-r-r  of  his  rattles  could  be  heard 
almost  incessantly  ;  while  with  his  upraised  head  he  struck 
repeatedly  in  the  direction  of  his  enemy. 

6 


122  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"These  demonstrations  brought  the  whole  drove*  of  peccaries 
to  the  spot,  and  in  a  moment  a  circle  of  them  had  formed  around 
the  reptile,  that  did  not  know  which  to  strike  at,  bi  ;  kept 
launching  out  its  head  recklessly  in  all  directions.  The  peccaries 
stood  with  their  backs  highly  arched  and  their  feet  drawn  up 
together,  like  so  many  angry  cats,  threatening  and  uttering  shrill 
grunts.  Then  one  of  them,  I  think  the  first  that  had  appeared, 
rose  suddenly  into  the  air,  and  with  his  four  hoofs  held  close 
together,  came  pounce  down  upon  the  coiled  body  of  the  snake. 
Another  followed  in  a  similar  manner,  and  another,  and  another, 
until  1  could  see  the  long  carcase  of  the  reptile  unfolded,  and 
writhing  over  the  ground. 

"  After  a  short  while  it  lay  still,  crushed  beneath  their  feet. 
The  whole  squad  then  seized  it  in  their  teeth,  and  tearing  it  to 
pieces,  devoured  it  almost  instantaneously. 

"  From  the  moment  the  peccaries  had  appeared  in  sight,  I  had 
given  up  all  thoughts  about  the  turkeys.  I  had  resolved  to  send 
my  leaden  messenger  in  quite  a  different  direction.  Turkeys  I 
could  have  at  almost  any  time;  but  it  was  not  every  day  that 
peccaries  appeared.  So  I  '  slewed  '  myself  round  upon  the  log} 
raised  my  rifle  cautiously,  '  marked '  the  biggest  '  boar  '  1  could 
see  in  the  drove,  and  fired. 

"  I  heard  the  boar  squeak  (so  did  all  of  them),  and  taw  him 
fall  over,  either  killed  or  badly  wounded.  But  I  had  little  time 
to  tell  which,  for  the  smoke  had  hardly  cleared  out  of  my  eyes, 
when  I  perceived  the  whole  gang  of  peccaries,  instead  of  running 
away,  as  I  had  expected,  coming  full  tilt  towards  me. 

"  In  a  moment  I  was  surrounded  by  a  dark  mass  of  angry 
creatures,  leaping  wildly  at  my  legs,  uttering  shrill  grunts,  and 
making  their  teeth  crack  like  castanets. 

"  I  ran  for  the  highest  part  of  the  log,  but  this  proved  no 
security.  The  peccaries  leaped  upon  it,  and  followed.  I  struck 
with  the  butt  of  my  clubbed  gun,  and  knocked  them  off  ;  but 
again  they  surrounded  me,  leaping  upward  and  snapping  at  my 
legs,  until  hardly  a  shred  remained  of  my  trousers. 


TREED    BY    PECCARIES.  123 

"  I  saw  that  I  was  in  extreme  peril,  and  put  forth  all  my 
energies.  I  .swept  my  gun  wildly  around  me  ;  but  where  one 
of  the  fierce  brutes  was  knocked  over,  another  leaped  into  his 
place,  as  determined  as  he.  Still  I  had  no  help  for  it,  and  I 
shouted  at  the  top  of  my  voice,  all  the  while  battling  with  des 
peration. 

"  I  still  kept  upon  the  highest  point  of  the  log,  as  there  they 
could  not  all  come  around  me  at  once  ;  and  I  saw  that  I  could 
thus  better  defend  myself.  But  even  with  this  advantage,  the 
assaults  of  the  animals  were  so  incessant,  and  my  exertions  in 
keeping  them  off  so  continuous,  that  I  was  in  dalager  of  falling 
into  their  jaws  from  very  exhaustion. 

"  I  was  growing  weak  and  wearied — I  was  beginning  to 
despair  for  my  life — when  on  winding  my  gun  over  my  head  in 
order  to  give  force  to  my  blows,  I  felt  it  strike  against  some 
thing  behind  me.  It  was  the  branch  of  a  tree,  that  stretched 
over  the  spot  where  I  was  standing. 

"  A  new  thought  came  suddenly  into  my  mind.  Could  I 
climb  the  tree  ?  I  knew  that  they  could  not,  and  in  the  tree  I 
should  be  safe. 

"  I  looked  upward  ;  the  branch  was  within  reach.  I  seized 
upon  it  and  brought  it  nearer.  I  drew  a  long  breath,  and  with 
all  the  strength  that  remained  in  my  bodysprang  upward. 

"  I  succeeded  in  getting  upon  the  limb,  and  the  next  moment 
I  had  crawled  along  it,  and  sat  close  in  by  the  trunk.  I  breathed 
freely — I  was  safe. 

"  It  was  some  time  before  I  thought  of  anything  else»than 
resting  myself.  I  remained  a  full  half-hour  before  I  moved  in 
my  perch.  Occasionally  I  looked  down  at  my  late  tormentors. 
I  saw  that  instead  of  going  off,  they  were  still  there.  They  ran 
around  the  root  of  the  tree,  leaping  up  against  its  trunk,  and 
tearing  the  bark  with  their  teeth.  They  kept  constantly  utter 
ing  their  .shrill,  disagreeable  grunts  ;  and  the  odour,  resembling 
the  smell  of  musk  and  garlic,  which  they  emitted  from  their 


124  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

dorsal  glands,  almost  stifled  me.  I  saw  that  they  showed  no 
disposition  to  retire,  but,  on  the  contrary,  were  determined  to 
make  me  stand  siege. 

"  Now  and  then  they  passed  out  to  where  their  dead  comrade 
lay  upon  the  grass,  but  this  seemed  only  to  bind  their  resolution 
the  faster,  for  they  always  returned  again,  grunting  as  fiercely 
as  ever. 

"  I  had  hopes  that  my  friend  would  be  up  by  this  time,  and 
would  come  to  my  rescue  ;  but  it  was  not  likely  neither,  as  he 
would  not  '  miss '  me  until  I  had  remained  long  enough  to  make 
my  absence  seem  strange.  As  it  was,  that  would  not  be  until 
after  night,  or  perhaps  far  in  the  next  day.  It  was  no  unusual 
thing  for  me  to  wander  off  with  my  gun,  and  be  gone  for  a 
period  of  at  least  twenty  hours. 

"  I  sat  for  hours  on  my  painful  perch — now  looking  down  at 
the  spiteful  creatures  beneath — now  bending  my  eyes  across  the 
great  corn-field,  in  hopes  of  seeing  some  one.  At  times  the 
idea  crossed  my  mind,  that  even  upon  the  morrow  I  might  not 
be  missed. 

"  I  might  perish  with  hunger,  with  thirst — I  was  suffering 
from  both  at  the  moment — or  even  if  I  kept  alive,  I  might 
become  so  weak  as  not  to* be  able  to  hold  on  to  the  tree.  My 
seat  was  far  from  being  an  easy  one.  The  tree  was  small — the 
branch  was  slender.  It  was  already  cutting  into  my  thighs.  I 
might,  in  my  feebleness,  be  compelled  to  let  it  go,  and  then 

"  These  reflections  were  terrible  ;  and  as  they  came  across 
my  mind,  I  shouted  to  the  highest  pitch  of  my  voice,  hoping  I 
should  he  heard. 

"Up  to  this  time  I  had  not  thought  of  using  my  gun, 
although  clinging  to  it  instinctively.  I  had  brought  it  with  me 
into  the  tree.  It  now  occurred  to  me  to  fire  it,  in  hopes  that 
my  friend  or  some  one  might  hear  the  report. 

"  I  balanced  myself  on  the  branch  as  well  as  I  eould,  and 
loaded  it  with  powder.  I  was  about  to  fire  it  off  in  the  air, 


TREED    BY    PECCARIES.  125 

I 

when  it  appeared  to  me  that  I  might  as  well  reduce  the  number 
of  my  enemies.  I  therefore  rammed  down  a  ball,  took  aim  at 
the  forehead  of  one,  and  knocked  him  over. 

"  Another  idea  now  arose  in  my  mind,  and  that  was,  that  I 
might  serve  the  whole  gang  as  I  had  done  this  one.  His  fall 
had  not  frightened  them  in  the  least  ;  they  only  came  nearer, 
throwing  up  their  snouts  and  uttering  their  shrill  notes — thus 
giving  me  a  better  chance  of  hitting  them. 

"  I  repeated  the  loading  and  firing.  Another  enemy  the 
less. 

"  Hope  began  to  return.  I  counted  my  bullets  and,  held  my 
horn  up  to  the  sun.  There  were  over  twenty  bullets,  and  pow 
der  sufficient.  I  counted  the  peccaries.  Sixteen  still  lived,  with 
three  that  I  had  done  for. 

"  I  again  loaded  and  fired — loaded  and  fired — loaded  and 
fired.  I  aimed  so  carefully  each  time,  that  out  of  all  1  missed 
only  one  shot. 

"  When  the  firing  ceased,  I  dropped  down  from  my  perch  in 
the  midst  of  a  scene  that  resembled  a  great  slaughter-yard. 
Nineteen  of  the  creatures  lay  dead  around  the  tree,  and  the 
ground  was  saturated  with  their  blood  ! 

"  The  voice  of  my  friend  at  this  moment  sounded  in  my  ears, 
and  turning  I  beheld  him  standing,  with  hands  uplifted  and  eyes 
as  large  as  saucers. 

"  The  feat  was  soon  reported  through  the  settlement,  and  I 
was  looked  upon  for  the  time  as  the  greatest  hunter  in  the* 
'  Trinity  Bottom.' » 


126  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 


CHAPTER    XYI. 

A   DUCK-SHOOTING    ADVENTURE. 

DURING  our  next  day's  journey  we  again  fell  in  with  flocks  of 
the  wild  pigeon,  and  our  stock  was  renewed.  We  were  very 
glad  of  this,  as  we  were  getting  tired  of  the  dry  salt  bacon,  and 
another  "pot-pie''  from  Lanty's  cuisine  was  quite  welcome. 
The  subject  of  the  pigeons  was  exhausted,  and  we  talked  no 
more  about  them.  Ducks  were  upon  the  table  in  a  double 
sense,  for  during  the  march  we  had  fallen  in  with  a  brood  of  the 
beautiful  little  summer  ducks  (Anas  sponsa),  and  had  succeeded 
in  shooting  several  of  them.  These  little  creatures,  however, 
did  not  occupy  our  attention,  but  the  far  more  celebrated 
species  known  as  the  "  canvas-back"  (Anasvallisneria). 

Of  the  two  dozen  species  of  American  wild-ducks,  none  has  a 
wider  celebrity  than  that  known  as  the  canvas-back  ;  even  the 
eider-duck  is  less  thought  of,  as  the  Americans  care  little  for 
beds  of  down.  But  the  juicy,  fine-flavoured  flesh  of  the  canvas- 
back  is  esteemed  by  all  classes  of  people  ;  and  epicures  prize  it 
above  that  of  all  other  winged  creatures,  with  the  exception, 
perhaps,  of  the  reed-bird  or  rice-bunting,  and  the  prairie-hen. 
These  last  enjoy  a  celebrity  almost  if  not  altogether  equal.  The 
prairie-hen,  however,  is  the  Ion  morce.au  of  western  epicures  ; 
while  the  canvas-back  is  only  to  be  found  in  the  great  cities  of 
the  Atlantic.  The  reed-bird — in  the  West  Indies  called 
"  ortolan  " — is  also  found  in  the  same  markets  with  the  canvas- 
back.  The  flesh  of  all  three  of  these  birds — although  the  birds 
themselves  are  of  widely  different  families — is  really  of  the  most 
delicious  kind  ;  it  would  be  hard  to  say  which  of  them  is  the 
greatest  favourite. 


A   DUCK-SHOOTIXG    ADVENTURE.  127 

The  canvas-back  is  not  a  large  duck,  rarely  exceeding  three 
pounds  in  weight.  Its  colour  is  very  similar  to  the  pochard  of 
Europe  :  its  head  is  a  uniform  deep  chestnut,  its  breast  black  ; 
while  the  back  and  upper  parts  of  the  wings  present  a  surface 
of  bluish-grey,  so  lined  and  mottled  as  to  resemble,  though  very 
slightly,  the  texture  of  canvas  :  hence  the  trivial  name  of  the  bird. 

Like  most  of  the  water-birds  of  America,  the  canvas-back  is 
migratory.  It  proceeds  in  spring  to  the  cold  countries  of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  territory,  and  returns  southward  in  October, 
appearing  in  immense  flocks  along  the  Atlantic  shores.  It  does 
not  spread  over  the  fresh-water  lakes  of  the  United  States,  but 
confines  itself  to  three  or  four  well-known  haunts,  the  principal 
of  which  is  the  great  Chesapeake  Bay.  This  preference  for  the 
Chesapeake  Bay  is  easily  acounted  for,  as  here  its  favorite  food 
is  found  in  the  greatest  abundance.  Round  the  mouths  of  the 
rivers  that  run  into  this  bay,  there  are  extensive  shoals  of 
brackish  water  ;  these  favour  the  growth  of  a  certain  plant  of 
the  genus  vallisneria — a  grass-like  plant,  standing  several  feet 
out  of  the  water,  with  deep  green  leaves,  and  stems,  and  having  a 
white  and  tender  root.  On  this  root,  which  is  of  such  a  character 
as  to  have  given  the  plant  the  trivial  name  of  "  wild  celery,"  the 
canvas-back  feeds  exclusively  ;  for  wherever  it  is  not  to  be  found, 
neither  does  the  bird  make  its  appearance.  Diving  for  it,  and 
bringing  it  up  in  its  bill,  the  canvas-back  readily  breaks  off  the 
long  lanceolate  leaves,  which  float  off,  either  to  be  eaten  by  ano 
ther  species — the  pochard— or  to  form  immense  banks  of  wrack, 
that  are  thrown  up  against  the  adjacent  shores. 

It  is  to  the  roots  of  the  wild  celery  that  the  flesh  of  the  can 
vas-back  owes  its  esteemed  flavour,  causing  it  to  be  in  such 
demand  that  very  often  a  pair  of  these  ducks  will  bring  three 
dollars  in  the  markets  of  New  York  and  Philadelphia.  When 
the  finest  turkey  can  be  had  for  less  than  a  third  of  that  sum, 
Rome  idea  may  be  formed  of  the  superior  estimation  in  which  the 
web-f  >oted  favourites  are  held. 


128  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

Of  course,  shooting  the  canvas-back  duck  is  extensively  prac 
ticed,  not  only  as  an  amusement,  but  as  a  professional  occupation. 
Various  means  are  employed  to  slaughter  these  birds  :  decoys 
by  means  of  dogs,  duck-boats  armed  with  guns  that  resemble 
infernal-machines,  and  disguises  of  every  possible  kind.  The 
birds  themselves  are  extremely  shy  ;  and  a  shot  at  them  is  only 
obtained  by  great  ingenuity,  and  after  considerable  dodging. 
They  are  excellent  divers  ;  and  when  only  wounded,  almost 
always  make  good  their  escape.  Their  shyness  is  overcome  by 
their  curiosity.  A  dog  placed  upon  the  shore,  near  where  they 
happen  to  be,  and  trained  to  run  backwards  and  forwards,  will 
almost  always  seduce  them  within  shot.  Should  the  dog  himself 
not  succeed,  a  red  rag  wrapped  around  his  body,  or  tied  to  his 
tail,  will  generally  bring  about  the  desired  result.  There  are 
times,  however,  when  the  ducks  have  been  much  shot  at,  that 
even  this  decoy  fails  of  success. 

On  account  of  the  high  price  the  canvas-backs  bring  in  the 
market,  they  are  pursued  by  the  hunters  with  great  assiduity, 
and  are  looked  upon  as  a  source  of  much  profit.  So  important 
has  this  been  considered,  that  in  the  international  treaties 
between  the  States  bordering  upon  the  Chesapeake,  there  are 
several  clauses  or  articles  relating  to  them  that  limit  the  right 
of  shooting  to  certain  parties.  An  infringement  of  this  right, 
some  three  or  four  years  ago,  led  to  serious  collisions  between 
the  gunners  of  Philadelphia  and  Baltimore.  So  far  was  the  dis 
pute  carried,  that  schooners  armed,  and  filled  with  armed  men, 
cruised  for  some  time  on  the  waters  of  the  Chesapeake,  and  all 
the  initiatory  steps  of  a  little  war  were  taken  by  both  parties. 
The  interference  of  the  General  Government  prevented  what 
would  have  proved,  had  it  been  left  to  itself,  a  very  sanguinary 
aifair. 

It  so  chanced  that  I  had  met  with  a  rather  singular  adven 
ture  while  duck-shooting  on  the  Chesapeake  bay,  and  the  story 
was  related  thus  :  "  I  was  staying  for  some  days  at  the  house 


•  A   DUCK-SHOOTING    ADVENTURE.  129 

of  a  friend — a  planter — who  lived  near  the  mouth  of  a  small 
river  that  runs  into  the  Chesapeake.  I  felt  inclined  to  have  a 
shot  at  the  far-famed  canvas-backs.  I  had  often  eaten  of  these 
birds,  but  had  never  shot  one,  or  even  seen  them  in  their  natu 
ral  habitat.  I  was,  therefore,  anxious  to  try  my  hand  upon 
them,  and  I  accordingly  set  out  one  morning  for  that  purpose. 

"  My  friend  lived  upon  the  bank  of  the  river,  some  distance 
above  tide-water.  As  the  wild  celery  grows  only  in  brackish 
water — that  is,  neither  in  the  salt  sea  itself  nor  yet  in  the  fresh 
water  rivers — I  had  to  pass  down  the  little  stream  a  mile  or 
more  before  I  came  to  the  proper  place  for  finding  the  ducks. 
I  went  in  a  small  skiff,  with  no  other  companion  than  an  ill- 
favoured  cur-dogt  with  which  I  had  been  furnished,  and  which 
was  represented  to  me  as  one  of  the  best  '  duck-dogs '  in  the 
country. 

"  My  friend  having  business  elsewhere,  unfortunately  could 
not  upon  that  day  give  me  his  company  •  but  I  knew  something 
of  the  place,  and  being  au  fait  in  most  of  the  dodges  of  duck- 
hunting,  I  fancied  I  was  quite  able  to  take  care  of  myself. 
.  "  Floating  and  rowing  by  turns,  I  soon  came  in  sight  of  the 
bay  and  the  wild-celery  fields,  and  also  of  flocks  of  water-fowl  of 
different  species,  among  which  I  could  recognise  the  pochards, 
the  canvas-backs,  and  the  common  American  widgeon. 

"  Seeking  a  convenient  place  near  the  mouth  of  the  stream,  I 
landed  ;  and,  tying  the  skiff  to  some  weeds,  proceeded  in  search 
of  a  cover.  This  was  soon  found — some  bushes  favoured  me  ; 
and  having  taken  my  position,  I  set  the  dog  to  his  work.  The 
brute,  however,  took  but  little  notice  of  my  words  and  gestures 
of  encouragement.  I  fancied  that  he  had  a  wild  and  frightened 
look,  but  I  attributed  this  to  my  being  partially  a  stranger  to 
him  ;  and  was  in  hopes  that,  as  soon  as  we  became  better 
acquainted,  he  would  work  in  a  different  manner. 

"  I  was  disappointed,  however,  as,  do  what  I  might,  he  would 
not  go  near  the  water,  nor  would  he  perform  the  trick  of  running 

6* 


130  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

to  and  fro  which  I  had  been  assured  by  my  friend  he  would  be 
certain  to  do.  On  the  contrary,  he  cowered  among  the  bushes, 
near  where  I  had  stationed  myself,  and  seemed  unwilling  to  move 
out  of  them.  Two  or  three  times,  when  I  dragged  him  forward, 
and  motioned  him  toward  the  water,  he  rushed  back  again,  and 
ran  under  the  bushwood. 

"  I  was  exceedingly  provoked  with  this  conduct  of  the  dog, 
the  more  so  that  a  flock  of  canvas-backs,  consisting  of  several 
thousands,  was  seated  upon  the  water  not  more  than  half  a  mile 
from  the  shore.  Had  my  dog  done  his  duty,  I  have  no  doubt 
they  might  have  been  brought  within  range  ;  and,  calculating 
upon  this,  I  had  made  sure  of  a  noble  shot.  My  expectations, 
however,  were  defeated  by  the  waywardness  of  the  dog,  and  I 
saw  there  was  no  hope  of  doing  anything  with  him. 

"  Having  arrived  at  this  conclusion,  after  some  hours  spent  to 
no  purpose,  I  rose  from  my  cover,  and  marched  back  to  the 
skiff.  I  did  not'  even  motion  the  wretched  cur  to  follow  me  ; 
and  I  should  have  rowed  off  without  him,  risking  the  chances  of 
my  friend's  displeasure,  but  it  pleased  the  animal  himself  to  trot 
after  me  without  invitation,  and,  on  arriving  at  the  boat,  to  leap 
voluntarily  into  it. 

"  I  was  really  so  provoked  with  the  brute,  that  I  felt  much 
inclined  to  pitch  him  out  again.  My  vexation,  however, 
gradually  left  me  ;  and  I  stood  up  in  the  skiff,  turning  over  in 
my  mind  what  course  I  should  pursue  next. 

"  I  looked  toward  the  flock  of  canvas-backs.  It  was  a  tanta 
lising  sight.  They  sat  upon  the  water  as  light  as  corks,  and  as 
close  together  as  sportsman  could  desire  for  a  shot.  A  well- 
aimed  discharge  could  not  have  failed  to  kill  a  score  of  them  at 
least. 

"  Was  there  no  way  of  approaching  them  ?  This  question  I 
had  put  to  myself  for  the  twentieth  time  without  being  able  to 
answer  it  to  my  satisfaction. 

11  An  idea  at  length  flitted  across  my  brain.     I  had  often 


A   DUCK-SHOOTIXG    ADVENTURE.  131 

approached  common  mallards  by  concealing  my  boat  under 
branches  or  furze,  and  then  floating  down  upon  them,  impelled 
either  by  the  wind  or  the  current  of  a  stream.  Might  not  this 
also  succeed  with  the  canvas-backs  ? 

*'  I  resolved  upon  making  the  experiment.  The  flock  was  in 
a  position  to  enable  me  to  do  so.  They  were  to  the  leeward  of 
a  sedge  of  the  vallisneria.  The  wind  would  carry  my  skiff 
through  this  ;  and  the  green  bashes  with  which  I  intended  to 
disguise  it  would  not  be  distinguished  from  the  sedge,  which  was 
also  green. 

"  The  thing  was  feasible.  I  deemed  it  so.  I  set  about  cut 
ting  some  leafy  branches  that  grew  near,  and  trying  them  along 
the  gunwales  of  my  little  craft.  In  less  than  half  an  hour,  I 
pushed  her  from  the  shore  ;  and  no  one  at  a  distance  would 
have  taken  her  for  aught  else  than  a  floating  raft  of  brushwood. 

"  I  now  pulled  quietly  out  until  I  had  got  exactly  to  wind 
ward  of  the  ducks,  at  about  half  a  mile's  distance  from  the 
edge  of  the  flock.  I  then  took  in  the  paddles,  and  permitted 
the  skiff  to  glide  before  the  wind.  1  took  the  precaution  to 
place  myself  in  such  a  manner  that  I  was  completely  hidden, 
while  through  the  branches  I  commanded  a  view  of  the  surface 
on  any  side  I  might  wish  to  look. 

"  The  bushes  acted  as  a  sail,  and  I  was  soon  drifted  down 
among  the  plants  of  the  wild  celery.  I  feared  that  this  might 
stay  my  progress,  as  the  breeze  was  light,  and  might  not  carry 
me  through.  But  the  sward,  contrary  to  what  is  usual,  was 
thin  at  the  place  where  the  skiff  had  entered,  and  I  felt,  to  my 
satisfaction,  that  I  was  moving,  though  slowly,  in  the  right 
direction, 

"  I  remember  that  the  heat  annoyed  me  at  the  tim.e,  It  was 
the  month  of  November  ;  but  it  was  that  peculiar  season  known 
as  the  '  Indian  summer/  and  the  heat  was  excessive— not  under 
90  degrees,  I  am  certain.  *  The  shrubbery  that  encircled  me 
prevented  a  breath  of  air  from  reaching  my  body  ;  and  the 


132  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

rays  of  the  noonday  sun  fell  almost  vertically  in  that  southern 
latitude,  scorching  me  as  I  lay  along  the  bottom  of  the  boat. 
Under  other  circumstances,  I  should  not  have  liked  to  undergo 
such  a  roasting  ;  but  with  the  prospect  of  a  splendid  shot  before 
me,  I  endured  it  as  best  I  could. 

"  The  skiff  was  nearly  an  hour  in  pushing  its  way  through  the 
field  of  vallisneria,  and  once  or  twice  it  remained  for  a  consider 
able  time  motionless.  A  stronger  breeze,  however,  would  spring 
up,  and  then  the  sound  of  the  reeds  rubbing  the  sides  of  the 
(boat  would  gratefully  admonish  me  that  I  was  moving  ahead. 

"  I  saw,  at  length,  to  my  great  gratification,  that  I  was 
approaching  the  selvage  of  the  sedge,  and,  moreover,  that  the 
flock  itself  was  moving,  as  it  were,  to  meet  me  1  Many  of  the 
birds  were  diving  and  feeding  in  the  direction  of  the  skiff. 

"  I  lay  watching  them  with  interest.  I  saw  that  the  canvas- 
backs  were  accompanied  by  another  species  of  a  very  different 
colour  from  themselves  :  this  was  the  American  widgeon.  It 
was  a  curious  sight  to  witness  the  constant  warfare  that  was 
carried  on  between  these  two  species  of  birds.  The  widgeon  is  but 
a  poor  diver,  while  the  canvas-back  is  one  of  the  very  best.  The 
widgeon,  however,  is  equally  fond  of  the  roots  of  the  wild  celery 
with  its  congener  ;  but  he  has  no  means  of  obtaining  them 
except  by  robbing  the  latter.  Being  a  smaller  and  less  power 
ful  bird,  he  is  not  able  to  do  this  openly  ;  and  it  was  curious  to 
observe  the  means  by  which  he  effected  his  purpose.  It  was  as 
follows  :  When  the  canvas-back  descends,  he  must  perforce 
remain  some  moments  under  water.  It  requires  time  to  seize 
hold  of  the  plant,  and  pluck  it  up  by  the  roots.  In  consequence 
of  this,  he  usually  reaches  the  surface  in  a  state  of  half  blind^ 
ness,  holding  the  luscious  morsel  in  his  bill.  The  widgeon  has 
observed  him  going  down  ;  and,  calculating  to  a  nicety  the  spot 
where  he  will  reappear,  seats  himself  in  readiness.  The  moment 
the  other  emerges,  and  before  he  can  fully  recover  his  sight  or 
his  senses,  the  active  spoliator  makes  a  dash,  seizes  the  celery  in 


A   DUCK-SHOOTING    ADVENTURE.  133 

bis  horny  mandibles,  and  makes  off  with  it  as  fast  as  his  webbed 
feet  can  propel  him.  The  canvas-back,  although  chagrined  at 
being  plundered  in  this  impudent  manner,  knows  that  pursuit 
would  be  idle,  and,  setting  the  root  down  as  lost,  draws  a  fresh 
breath  and  dives  for  another.  I  noticed  in  the  flock  a  continual 
recurrence  of  such  scenes. 

"  A  third  species  of  birds  drew  my  attention.  These  were 
the  pochards,  or,  as  they  are  termed  by  the  gunners  of  the 
Chesapeake,  'red-heads.'  These  creatures  bear  a  very  great 
resemblance  to  the  canvas-backs,  and  can  hardly  be  distin 
guished  except  by  their  bills  ;  those  of  the  former  being  concave 
along  the  upper  surface,  while  the  bills  of  the  canvas-backs 
exhibit  a  nearly  straight  line. 

"  I  saw  that  the  pochards  did  not  interfere  with  either  of  the 
other  species,  contenting  themselves  with  feeding  upon  what 
neither  of  the  others  cared  for — the  green  leaves  of  the  vallis- 
neria,  which,  after  being  stripped  of  their  roots,  were  floating  in 
quantities  on  the  surface  of  the  water.  Yet  these  pochards  are 
almost  as  much  prized  for  the  table  as  their  cousins  the  canvas- 
backs  ;  and,  indeed,  I  have  since  learnt  that  they  are  often  put 
off  for  the  latter  by  the  poulterers  of  New  York  and  Philadel 
phia  Those  who  would  buy  a  real  canvas-back  should  know 
something  of  natural  history.  The  form  and  colour  of  the  bill 
would  serve  as  a  criterion  to  prevent  their  being  deceived.  In 
the  pochard,  the  bill  is  o.f  a  bluish  colour  ;  that  of  the  canvas- 
back  is  dark  green  ;  moreover,  the  eye  of  the  pochard  is  yellow, 
while  that  of  its  congener  is  fiery  red. 

"  I  was  gratified  in  perceiving  that  I  had  at  last  drifted 
within  range  of  a  thick  clump  of  the  ducks.  Nothing  now 
remained  but  to  poke  my  gun  noiselessly  through  the  bushes, 
set  the  cocks  of  both  barrels,  take  aim  and  fire. 

"  It  was  my  intention  to  follow  the  usual  plan — that  is,  fire 
one  barrel  at  the  birds  while  sitting,  and  give  them  the  second 


134  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

as  they  rose  upon  the  wing.  This  intention  was  carried  out  the 
moment^  after  ;  and  I  had  the  gratification  of  seeing  some  fifteen 
or  twenty  ducks  strewed  over  the  M^ater  at  my  service.  The 
rest  of  the  flock  rose  into  the  heavens,  and  the  clapping  of  their 
wings  filled  the  air  with  a  noise  that  resembled  thunder. 

"  I  say  that  there  appeared  to  have  been  fifteen  or  twenty 
killed  ;  how  many  I  never  knew  :  1  never  laid  my  hands  upon  a 
single  bird  of  them.  I  became  differently  occupied,  and  with  a 
matter  that  soon  drove  canvas-backs,  and  widgeons,  and 
pochards  as  clean  out  of  my  head  as  if  no  such  creatures  had 
ever  existed. 

"While  drifting  through  the  sedge,  my  attention  had  several 
times  been  attracted  by  what  appeared  to  be  strange  conduct 
on  the  part  of  my  canine  companion.  He  lay  cowering  in  the 
bottom  of  the  boat  near  the  bow,  and  half  covered  by  the 
bushes  ;  but  every  now  and  then  he  would  start  to  his  feet,  look 
wildly  around,  utter  a  strange  whimpering,  and  then  resume  his 
crouching  attitude.  I  noticed,  moreover,  that  at  intervals  he 
trembled  as  if  he  was  about  to  shake  out  his  teeth.  All  this 
had  caused  me  wonder — nothing  more.  I  was  too  much  occu 
pied  in  watching  the  game,  to  speculate  upon  causes  ;  I  believed, 
if  I  formed  any  belief  on  the  subject,  that  these  manoeuvres  were 
caused  by  fear  ;  that  the  cur  had  never  been  to  sea,  and  that 
he  was  now  either  sea-sick  or  sea-scared. 

"This  explanation  had  hitherto  satisfied  me,  and  I  had 
thought  no  more  upon  the  matter.  I  had  scarcely  delivered  my 
second  barrel,  however,  when  my  attention  was  anew  attracted 
to  the  dog  ;  and  this  time  was  so  arrested,  that  in  one  half- 
second  I  thought  of  nothing  else.  The  animal  had  arisen,  and 
stood  within  three  feet  of  me,  whining  hideously.  His  eyes 
glared  upon  me  with  a  wild  and  unnatural  expression,  his  tongue 
lolled  out,  and  saliva  fell  copiously  from  his  lips.  The  dog  was 
mad ! 


A   DUCK-SHOOTING    ADVENTURE.  135 

|.- 

"  I  saw  that  the  dog  was  mad,  as  certainly  as  I  saw  the  dog. 
I  had  seen  mad  dogs  before,  and  knew  the  symptoms  well.  It 
was  hydrophobia  of  the  most  dangerous  character. 

"  Fear,  quick  and  sudden,  came  over  me.  Fear  is  a  tame 
word  ;  horror  I  should  call  it  ;  and  the  phrase  would  not  be  too 
strong  to  express  my  sensations  at  that  moment.  I  knew 
myself  to  be  in  a  situation  of  extreme  peril,  and  I  saw  not  the 
way  out  of  it  Death — death  painful  and  horrid — appeared  to 
be  nigh,  appeared  to  confront  me,  glaring  from  out  the  eyes  of 
the  hideous  brute. 

"  Instinct  had  caused  me  to  put  myself  in  an  attitude  of 
defence.  My  first  instinct  was  a  false  one.  I  raised  my  gun, 
at  the  same  moment  manipulating  the  lock,  with  the  design  of 
cocking  her.  In  the  confusion  of  terror,  I  had  even  forgotten 
that  both  barrels  were  empty,  that  I  had  just  scattered  their 
contents  in  the  sea. 

"  I  thought  of  re-loading,  but  a  movement  of  the  dog  towards 
me  showed  that  that  would  be  a  dangerous  experiment ;  and  a 
third  thought  or  instinct  directed  me  to  turn  the  piece  in  my 
hand,  and  defend  myself,  if  necessary,  with  the  butt.  This 
instinct  was  instantly  obeyed,  and  in  a  second's  time  I  held  the 
piece  clubbed  and  ready  to  strike. 

"I  had  retreated  backward  until  I  stood  in  the  stern  of  the 
skiff.  The  dog  had  hitherto  lain  close  up  to  the  bow,  but  after 
the  shots,  he  had  sprung  up  and  taken  a  position  nearer  the 
centre  of  the  boat.  In  fact,  he  had  been  within  biting  distance 
of  me  before  I  had  noticed  his  madness.  The  position  into 
which  I  had  thus  half  involuntarily  thrown  myself,  offered  me 
but  a  trifling  security. 

"  Any  one  who  has  ever  rowed  an  American  skiff  will  remem 
ber  that  these  little  vessels  are  '  crank '  to  an  extreme  degree. 
Although  boat-shaped  above  they  are  without  keels,  and  a  rude 
step  will  turn  them  bottom  upward  in  an  instant.  Even  to 
stand  upright  in  them,  requires  careful  balancing  ;  but  to  fight 


136  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

| 

a  mad  dog  in  one  without  being  bitten,  would  require  the  skill 
and  adroitness  of  an  acrobat.  With  all  my  caution,  as  I  half 
stood,  half  crouched  in  the  stern,  the  skiff  rocked  from  side  to 
side,  and  I  was  in  danger  of  being  pitched  out.  Should  the  dog 
spring  at  me,  I  knew  that  any  violent  exertion  to  fend  him  off 
would  either  cause  me  to  be  precipitated  into  the  water,  or 
would  upset  the  boat — a  still  more  dreadful  alternative. 

"  These  thoughts  did  not  occupy  half  the  time  I  have  taken 
to  describe  them.  Short,  however,  as  that  time  was  in  actual 
duration,  to  me  it  seemed  long  enough,  for  the  dog  still  held  a 
threatening  attitude,  his  fore-paws  resting  upon  one  of  the  seats, 
while  his  eyes  continued  to  glare  upon  me  with  a  wild  and 
uncertain  expression. 

"  I  remained  for  some  moments  in  fearful  suspense.  I  was 
half  paralysed  with  terror,  and  uncertain  what  action  it  would 
be  best  to  take.  I  feared  that  any  movement  would  attract  the 
fierce  animal,  and  be  the  signal  for  him  to  spring  upon  me.  1 
thought  of  jumping  out  of  the  skiff  into  the  water.  I  could  not 
wade  in  it.  It  was  shallow  enough — not  over  five  feet  in  depth, 
but  the  bottom  appeared  to  be  of  soft  mud.  I  might  sink 
another  foot  in  the  mud.  No  ;  I  could  not  have  waded.  The 
idea  was  dismissed. 

"To  swim  to  the  shore.  I  glanced  sideways  in  that  direc 
tion  ;  it  was  nearly  half  a  mile  distant.  I  could  never  reach  it, 
cumbered  with  my  clothes.  To  have  stripped  these  off  would 
have  tempted  the  attack.  Even  could  I  have  done  so,  might 
not  the  dog  follow  and  seize  me  in  the  water  ?  A  horrible 
thought  1 

"  I  abandoned  all  hope  of  escape,  at  least  that  might  arise 
from  any  active  measures  on  my  part.  I  could  do  nothing  to 
save  myself ;  my  only  hope  lay  in  passively  awaiting  the  result. 

*'  Impressed  with  this  idea,  I  remained  motionless  as  a 
statue  ;  I  moved  neither  hand  nor  foot  from  the  attitude  I  had 
first  assumed  ;  I  scarcely  permitted  myself  to  breathe,  so  much 


A   DUCK-SHOOTING    ADVENTURE.  137 

did  I  dread  attracting  the  farther  attention  of  my  terrible  com 
panion,  and  interrupting  the  neutrality  that  existed. 

"  For  some  minutes — they  seemed  hours — this  state  of  affairs 
continued.  The  dog  still  stood  up,  with  his  fore-paws  raised 
upon  the  bench  ;  the  oars  were  among  his  feet.  In  this  position 
he  remained,  gazing  wildly,  though  it  did  not  appear  to  me 
steadily,  in  my  face.  Several  times  I  thought  he  was  about  to 
spring  on  me  ;  and,  although  I  carefully  avoided  making  any 
movement,  I  instinctively  grasped  my  gun  with  a  firmer  hold. 
To  add  to  my  embarrassment,  I  saw  that  I  was  fast  drifting 
seaward.  The  wind  was  from  the  shore  ;  it  was  impelling  the 
boat  with  considerable  velocity,  in  consequence  of  the  mass  of 
bushes  acting  as  sails.  Already  it  had  cleared  the  sedge,  and 
was  floating  out  in  open  water.  To  my  dismay,  at  less  than  a 
mile's  distance,  I  descried  a  line  of  breakers  ! 

"  A  side  glance  was  sufficient  to  convince  me,  that  unless  the 
skiff  was  checked,  she  would  drift  upon  these  in  the  space  of  ten 
minutes. 

"  A  fearful  alternative  now  presented  itself  :  I  must  either 
drive  the  dog  from  the  oars,  or  allow  the  skiff  to  be  swamped 
among  the  breakers.  The  latter  would  be  certain  death,  the 
former  offered  a  chance  for  life ;  and,  nerving  myself  with  the 
palpable  necessity  for  action,  I  instantly  resolved  to  make  the 
attack. 

"  Whether  the  dog  had  read  my  intention  in  my  eyes,  or 
observed  my  fingers  taking  a  firmer  clutch  of  my  gun,  I  know 
not,  but  at  this  moment  he  seemed  to  evince  sudden  fear,  and, 
dropping  down  from,  the  seat,  he  ran  backward  to  the  bow,  and 
cowered  there  as  before. 

"  My  first  impulse  was  to  get  hold  of  the  oars,  for  the  roar  of 
the  breakers  already  filled  my  ears.  A  better  idea  suggested 
itself  immediately  after,  and  that  was  to  load  my  gun.  This 
was  a  delicate  business,  but  I  set  about  it  with  all  the  caution  I 
could  command. 


138  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  I  kept  my  eyes  fixed  upon  the  animal,  and  felt  the  powder, 
the  wadding,  and  the  shot,  into  the  muzzle.  I  succeeded  in  load 
ing  one  barrel,  and  fixing  the  cap. 

"  As  I  had  now  something  upon  which  I  could  rely,  I  pro 
ceeded  with  more  confidence,  and  loaded  the  second  barrel  with 
greater  care,  the  dog 'eyeing  me  all  the  while.  Had  madness 
not  obscured  his  intelligence,  he  would  no  doubt  have  interrupted 
my  manipulations  ;  as  it  was  he  remained  still  until  both  barrels 
were  loaded,  capped,  and  cocked. 

"I  had  no  time  to  spare  ;  the  breakers  were  nigh  ;  their 
hoarse  'sough7  warned  me  of  their  perilous  proximity;  a 
minute  more,  and  the  little  skiff  would  be  dancing  among  them 
like  a  shell,  or  sunk  for  ever. 

"  Not  a  moment  was  to  be  lost,  and  yet  I  had  to  proceed  with 
caution.  I  dared  not  raise  the  gun  to  my  shoulder — I  dared  not 
glance  along  the  barrels :  the  manoeuvre  might  rouse  the  dan 
gerous  brute. 

"  I  held  the  piece  low,  slanting  along  my  thighs.  I  guided 
the  barrels  with  my  mind,  and,  feeling  the  direction  to  be  true, 
I  fired. 

"  I  scarcely  heard  the  report,  on  account  of  the  roaring  of  the 
sea  ;  but  I  saw  the  dog  roll  over,  kicking  violently.  I  saw  a 
livid  patch  over  his  ribs,  where  the  shot  had  entered  in  a  clump. 
This  would  no  doubt  have  proved  sufficient  ;  but  to  make  sure, 
I  raised  the  gun  to  my  shoulder,  took  aim,  and  sent  the  contents 
of  the  second  barrel  through  the  ribs  of  the  miserable  brute 
His  kicking  ended  almost  instantly,  and  he  lay  dead  in  the  bot 
tom  of  the  boat. 

4'  I  dropped  my  gun  and  flew  to  the  oars  :  it  was  a  close 
'  shave  ; '  the  skiff  was  already  in  white  water,  and  dancing  like 
a  feather  ;  but  with  a  few  strokes  I  succeeded  in  backing  her 
9ut,  and  then  heading  her  away  from  the  breakers,  I  pulled  in  a 
direct  line  for  the  shore. 

"  I  thought  not  of  my  canvas-backs — they  had  floated  by  this 


HUNTING   THE    VICUNA.  139 

time,  I  neither  knew  nor  cared  whither  :  the  sharks  might  have 
them  for  me.  My  only  care  was  to  get  away  from  the  scene  as 
quickly  as  possible,  determined  never  again  to  go  duck-shooting 
with  a  cur  for  my  companion. 


CHAPTER    XVII. 

HUNTING   THE   VICUNA. 

DURING  our  next  day's  march  the  only  incident  that  befel  us 
was  the  breaking  of  our  waggon-tongue,  which  delayed  our  jour 
ney.  There  was  plenty  of  good  hickory-wood  near  the  place, 
and  Jake,  with  a  little  help  from  Redwood  and  Ike  and  Lanty, 
soon  spliced  it  again,  making  it  stronger  than  ever.  Of  course 
it  shortened  our  journey  for  the  day,  and  we  encamped  at  the 
end  of  a  ten  miles7  inarch.  Strange  to  say,  on  the  whole  ten 
miles  we  did  not  meet  with  a  single  animal  to  give  us  a  little 
sport,  or  to  form  the  subject  of  "our  camp  talk. 

We  were  not  without  a  subject,  however,  as  our  English  friend 
proposed  giving  us  an  account  of  the  mode  of  hunting  the  vicu 
na,  and  the  details  of  a  week's  hunting  he  had  enjoyed  upon  the 
high  table-lands  of  the  Peruvian  Andes.  He  also  imparted  to 
our  camp-fire  circle  much  information  about  the  different  species 
of  that  celebrated  animal  the  llama  or  "  camel-sheep "  of  Peru, 
which  proved  extremely  interesting,  not  only  to  the  old  hunter- 
naturalist,  but  to  the  "  mountain-men,"  to  whom  this  species  of 
game,  as  well  as  the  mode  of  hunting  it,  was  something  new. 

Thompson  began  his  narrative  as  follows  : — 

"  When  Pizarro  and  his  Spaniards  first  climbed  the  Peruvian 
Andes,  they  were  astonished  at  seeing  a  new  and  singular  species 
of  quadrupeds,  the  camel-sheep,  so  called  from  their  resemblance 


140  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

to  these  two  kinds  of  animals.  They  saw  the  '  llama'  domesti 
cated  and  trained  to  carrying  burdens,  and  the  '  alpaca,'  a 
smaller  species,  reared  on  account  of  its  valuable  fleece. 

"  But  there  were  still  two  other  species  of  these  odd  animals 
only  observed  in  a  wild  state,  and  in  the  more  desolate  and  unin 
habited  parts  of  the  Cordilleras.  These  were  the  'guanaco'  and 
'  vicuna.' 

"  Up  to  a  very  late  period  the  guanaco  was  believed  to  be  the 
llama  in  its  wild  state,  and  by  some  the  llama  run  wild.  This, 
however,  is  not  the  case.  The  four  species,  llama,  alpaca,  gua- 
naca,  and  vicuna  are  quite  distinct  from  each  other,  and 
although  the  guanaco  can  be  tamed  and  taught  to  carry  bur 
dens,  its  labor  is  not  of  sufficient  value  to  render  this  worth 
while.  The  alpaca  is  never  used  as  a  beast  of  burden.  Its  fleece 
is  the  consideration  for  which  it  is  domesticated  and  reared,  and 
its  wool  is  much  finer  and  more  valuable  than  that  of  the  llama. 

"  The  guanaco  is,  perhaps,  the  least  prized  of  the  four,  as  its 
fleece  is  of  indifferent  quality,  and  its  flesh  is  not  esteemed.  The 
vicuna,  on  the  contrary,  yields  a  wool  which  is  eagerly  sought 
after,  and  which  in  the  Andes  towns  will  sell  for  at  least  five 
times  its  weight  in  alpaca  wool.  Ponchos  woven  out  of  it  ' 
are  deemed  the  finest  made,  and  command  the  fabulous  price  of 
20/.  or  30/.  sterling.  A  rich  proprietor  in  the  cordilleras  is  often 
seen  with  such  a  poncho,  and  the  quality  of  the  garment,  the 
length  of  time  it  will  turn  rain,  &c.,  are  favourite  subjects  of 
conversation  with  the  wearers  of  them.  Of  course  everybody 
in  those  parts  possesses  one,  as  everybody  in  England  or  the  Uni 
ted  States  must  have  a  great  coat  ;  but  the  ponchos  of  the 
poorer  classes  of  Peruvians — the  Indian  labourers,  shepherds 
and  miners — are  usually  manufactured  out  of  the  coarse  wool 
of  the  llama.  Only  the  'ricos'  can  afford  the  beautiful  fabric 
of  the  vicuna's  fleece.  x 

"  The  wool  of  the  vicuna  being  so  much  in  demand,  it  will  be 
easily  conceived  that  hunting  the  animal  is  a  profitable  pursuit; 


HUNTING   THE   VICUNA.  141 

and  so  it  is.  In  many  parts  of  the  Andes  there  are  regular 
vicuna  hunters,  while,  in  other  places,  whole  tribes  of  Peruvian 
Indians  spend  a  part  of  every  year  in  the  chase  of  this  animal 
and  the  guanaco.  When  we  go  farther  south,  in  the  direction 
of  Patagonia,  we  find  other  tribes  who  subsist  principally 
upon  the  guanaco,  the  vicuna,  and  the  rhea  or  South  America 
ostrich. 

"  Hunting  the  vicuna  is  by  no  means  an  easy  calling.  The 
hunter  must  betake  himself  to  the  highest  and  coldest  regions 
of  the  Andes — far  from  civilized  life,  and  far  from  its  comforts. 
He  has  to  encamp  in  the  open  air,  and  sleep  in  a  cave  or  a  rude 
hut,  built  by  his  own  hands.  He  has  to  endure  a  climate  as 
severe  as  a  Lapland  winter,  often  in  places  where  not  a  stick  of 
wood  can  be  procured,  and  where  he  is  compelled  to  cook  his 
meals  with  the  dry  ordure  of  wild  cattle. 

"  If  not  successful  in  the  chase  he  is  brought  to  the  verge  of 
starvation,  and  must  have  recourse  to  roots  and  berries — a  few 
species  of  which,  such  as  the  tuberous  root  '  rnaca,'  are  found 
growing  in  these  elevated  regions.  He  is  exposed,  moreover, 
to  the  perils  of  the  precipice,  the  creaking  *  soga '  bridge,  the 
slippery  path,  and  the  hoarse  rushing  torrent — and  these  among 
the  rugged  Cordilleras  of  the  Andes  are  no  mean  dangers.  A 
life  of  toil,  exposure,  and  peril  is  that  of  the  vicuna  hunter. 

"  During  my  travels  in  Peru  I  had  resolved  to  enjoy  the  sport 
of  hunting  the  vicuna.  For  this  purpose  I  set  out  from  one  of 
the  towns  of  the  Lower  Sierra,  and  climbed  up  the  high  region 
known  as  the  'Puna,'  or  sometimes  as  the  'Despoblado'  (the 
uninhabited  region). 

"  I  reached  at  length  the  edge  of  a  plain  to  which  I  had 
mounted  by  many  a  weary  path — up  many  a  dark  ravine.  I 
was  twelve  or  fourteen  thousand  feet  above  sea  level,  and 
although  I  had  just  parted  from  the  land  of  the  palm-tree  and 
the  orange,  I  was  now  in  a  region  cold  and  sterile.  Mountains 
were  before  and  around  me — some  black  and  dark,  others  shining 


142  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

under  a  robe  of  snow,  and  still  others  of  that  greyish  hue  as  if 
snow  had  freshly  fallen  upon  them,  but  not  enough  to  cover 
their  stony  surface.  The  plain  before  me  was  several  miles  in 
circumference.  It  was  only  part  of  a  system  of  similar  levels 
separated  from  each  other  by  spurs  of  the  mountains.  By 
crossing  a  ridge  another  comes  in  view,  a  deep  cleft  leads  you  into 
a  third  and  so  on. 

"  These  table  plains  are  too  cold  for  the  agriculturist.  Only 
the  cereal  barley  will  grow  there,  and  some  of  those  hardy  roots 
— the  natives  of  an  arctic  zone.  But  they  are  covered  with  a 
sward  of  grass — the  'ycha'  grass,  the  favorite  food  of  the  llamas 
— and  this  renders  them  serviceable  to  man.  Herds  of  half-wild 
cattle  may  be  seen,  tended  by  their  wilder-looking  shepherds. 
Flocks  of  alpacas,  female  llamas  with  their  young,  and  long-tailed 
Peruvian  sheep,  stray  over  them,  and  to  some  extent  relieve 
their  cheerless  aspect.  The  giant  vulture — the  condor,  wheels 
above  all,  or  perches  on  the  jutting  rock.  Here  and  there,  in 
some  sheltered  nook,  may  be  seen  the  dark  mud  hut  of  the 
'  vaquero '  (cattle  herd),  or  the  man  himself  with  his  troop  of 
savage  curs  following  at  his  heels,  and  this  is  all  the  sign  of 
habitation  or  inhabitant  to  be  met  with  for  hundreds  of  miles. 
This  bleak  land  among  the  mountain  tops  of  the  Andes,  as  I 
have  already  said,  is  called  the  'Puna.' 

"  The  Puna  is  the  favourite  haunt  of  the  vicuna,  and,  of 
course,  the  home  of  the  vicuna  hunter.  I  had  directions  to  find 
one  of  these  hunters  and  an  introduction  to  him  when  found,  and 
after  spending  the  night  at  a  shepherd's  hut,  I  proceeded  next 
morning  in  search  of  him — some  ten  miles  farther  into  tjie 
mountains. 

"  I  arrived  at  the  house,  or  rather  hovel,  at  an  early  hour. 
Notwithstanding,  my  host  had  been  abroad,  and  was  just 
returned  with  full  hands,  having  a  large  bundle  of  dead  animals 
in  each.  They  were  chinchillas  and  viscachas,  which  he  had 
taken  out  of  his  snares  set  over  night.  He  said  that  most  of 


HUNTING    THE    VICUNA.  143 

them  had  been  freshly  caught,  as  their  favourite  time  of  coming 
out  of  their  deris  to  feed  is  just  before  daybreak. 

These  two  kinds  of  animals,  which  in  many  respects  resemble 
our  rabbits,  also  resemble  each  other  in  habits.  They  make 
their  nests  in  crevices  of  the  rocks,  to  which  they  retreat,  when 
pursued,  as  rabbits  to  their  burrows.  Of  course,  they  are  snared 
in  a  very  similar  manner — by  setting  the  snares  upon  their  tracks, 
and  at  the  entrances  to  their  holes.  One  difference  I  noted. 
The  Peruvian  hunter  used  snares  made  of  twisted  horse-hair, 
instead  of  the  spring  wire  employed  by  our  game-keepers  and 
poachers.  The  chinchilla  is  a  much  more  beautiful  creature 
than  the  viscacha,  and  is  a  better  known-animal,  its  soft,  and 
beautifully  marbled  fur  being  an  article  of  fashionable  wear  in 
the  cities  of  Europe. 

"  As  I  approached  his  hut,  the  hunter  had  just  arrived  with 
the  night's  produce  of  his  snares,  and  was  hanging  them  up  to 
the  side  of  the  building,  skinning  them  one  by  one.  Not  less 
than  'half  a  score  of  small  fox-looking  dogs  were  around  him — 
true  native  dogs  of  the  country. 

"  Of  the  disposition  of  these  creatures  I  was  soon  made  aware. 
No  sooner  had  they  espied  me,  than  with  angry  yelps  the  whole 
pack  ran  forward  to  meet  me,  and  came  barking  and  grinning 
close  around  the  feet  of  my  horse.  Several  of  them  sprang 
upward  at  my  legs,  and  would,  no  doubt,  have  bitten  them,  had 
I  not  suddenly  raised  my  feet  up  to  the  withers,  and  for  some 
time  held  them  in  that  position.  I  have  no  hesitation  in  saying 
that  had  I  been  afoot,  I  should  have  been  badly  torn  by  the 
curs  ;  nor  do  I  hesitate  to  say,  that  of  all  the  dogs  in  the  known 
world,  these  Peruvian  mountain  dogs  are  the  most  vicious  and 
spiteful.  They  will  bite  even  the  friends  of  their  own  masters,  and 
very  often  their  masters  themselves  have  to  use  the  stick  to  keep 
them  in  subjection.  I  believe  the  dogs  found  among  many  tribes 
of  your  North-American  Indians  have  a  very  similar  disposition, 


144  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

though  by  no  means  to  compare  in  fierceness  and  savage  nature 
with  their  cousins  of  the  cold  Puna. 

"  The  masters  of  these  dogs  are  generally  Indians,  and  it  is  a 
Pirange  fact,  that  they  are  much  more  spiteful  towards  the 
whites  than  Indians.  It  is  difficult  for  a  white  man  to  get  on 
friendly  terms  with  them. 

"  After  a  good  deal  of  kicking  and  cuffing,  my  host  succeeded 
in  making  his  kennel  uaderstand  that  I  had  not  come  there  to  be 
eaten  up.  I  then  alighted  from  my  horse,  and  walked  (I  should 
j-ay  crawled)  mnde  the  hut. 

"  This  was,  as  I  have  already  stated,  a  mere  hovel.  A  circu 
lar  wall  of  mnd  and  stoue,  about  five  feet  high,  supported  a  set 
of  poles  that  served  aa  rafters.  These  poles  were  the  flower- 
stalks  of  the  great  American  aloe,  or  maguey-plant — the  only 
thing  resembling-  wood  that  grew  near.  Over  these  was  laid  a 
thick  layer  of  Puna  grass,  which  was  tied  with  strong  ropes  of 
4ho  came  material,  to  keep  it  from  flying  off  when  the  wind  blew 
fiokn',Ir,  which  it  there  often  does.  A  few  blocks  of  stone  in 
Ihe  middle  of  the  floor  constituted  the  fire-place,  and  the  smoke 
^ot  out  the  best  w&y  it  could  through  a  hole  in  the  roof. 

"  The  owner  of  this  mansion  was  a  true  Indian,  belonging  to 
one  of  those  tribes  of  the  mountains  that  could  not  be  said  ever 
to  have  been  conquered  by  the  Spaniards.  Living  in  remote 
districts,  many  of  these  people  never  submitted  to  the.  reparti- 
mientos,  yet  a  sort  of  religious  conquest  was  made  of  some  of 
4hem  by  the  missionaries,  thus  bringing  them  under  the  title  of 
1  Indies  mansos/  (tame  Indians),  in  contradiction  to  the  '  Indioa 
Vavos,'  or  savage  tribes,  who  remain  unconquered  and  indepen- 
lent  to  this  day. 

"  As  already  stated,  I  had  come  by  appointment  to  share  the 
day's  hunt.  I  was  invited  to  partake  of  breakfast.  My  host 
being  a  bachelor,  was  his  own  cook,  and  some  parched  maize 
and  '  macas/  with  a  roasted  chinchilla,  furnished  the  repast. 

"  Fortunately,  I  carried  with  me  a  flask  of  Catalan  brandy  ; 


HUNTING   THE    VICUNA.  140 

and  this,  with  a  cap  of  water  from  the  icy  mountain  spring,  ren 
dered  our  meal  more  palatable.  I  was  not  without  some  dry 
tobacco,  and  a  husk  to  roll  it  in,  so  that  we  enjoyed  our  cigar ; 
but  what  our  hunter  enjoyed  still  more  was  a  '  coceada/  for  he 
was  a  regular  chewer  cf  4  coca.'  He  carried  his  pouch  of  chin 
chilla  skin  filled  with  the  dried  leaves  of  the  coca  plant,  and 
around  his  neck  was  suspended  the  gourd  bottle,  filled  with  burnt 
lime  and  ashes  of  the  root  of  the  '  molle  '  tree. 

"  All  things  arranged,  we  started  forth.  It  was  to  be 
a  '  still '  hunt,  and  we  went  afoot,  leaving  our  horses  safely  tied 
by  the  hut.  The  Indian  took  with  him  only  one  of  his  dogs — a 
faithful  and  trusty  one,  on'  which  he  could  rely. 

11  We  skirted  the  plain,  and  struck  into  a  defile  in  the  moun 
tains.  It  led  upwards,  among  rocky  boulders.  A  cold  stream 
gurgled  in  its  bottom,  now  and  then  leaping  over  low  falls, 
and  churned  into  foam.  At  times  the  path  was  a  giddy  one, 
leading  along  narrow  ledges,  rendered  more  perilous  by  the 
frozen  snow,  that  lay  to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  Our 
object  was  to  reach  the  level  of  a  plain  still  higher,  where  my 
companion  assured  me  we  should  be  likely  to  happen  upon  a  herd 
of  vicunas. 

"  As  we  climbed  among  the  rocks,  my  eye  was  attracted  by  a 
moving  object,  higher  up.  On  looking  more  attentively,  several 
animals  were  seen,  of  large  size,  and  reddish  brown  colour.  I 
took  them  at  first  for  deer,  as  I  was  thinking  of  that  animal.  I 
saw  my  mistake  in  a  moment.  They  were  not  deer,  but  crea 
tures  quite  as  nimble.  They  were  bounding  from  rock  to  rock, 
and  running  along  the  narrow  ledges  with  the  agility  of  the 
chamois.  These  must  be  the  vicunas,  thought  I. 

"  '  No,'  said  my  companion  j  'guanacos — nothing  more.' 

"  I  was  anxious  to  have  a  shot  at  them. 

"  '  Better  leave  them  now,'  suggested  the  hunter  ;  '  the  report 
would  frighten  the  vicunas,  if  they  be  in  the  plain — it  is  near. 
I  know  these  guanacos.  I  know  where  they  will  retreat  to — 


146  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

a  defile  close  by — we  can  have  a  chance  at  them  on  our  re 
turn.' 

"  I  forbore  firing,  though  I  certainly  deemed  the  guanacos 
within  shot,  but  the  hunter  was  thinking  of  the  more  precious 
skin  of  the  vicunas,  and  we  passed  on.  I  saw  the  guauacos  run 
for  a  dark-looking  cleft  between  two  mountain  spurs. 

" '  We  shall  find  them  in  there/  muttered  my  companion, 
*  that  is  their  haunt.' 

"  Noble  game  are  these  guanacos — large  fine  animals — noble 
game  as  the  red  deer  himself.  They  differ  much  from  the 
vicunas.  They  herd  only  in  small  numbers,  from  six  to  ten  or  a 
dozen :  while  as  many  as  four  times  this  number  of  vicunas 
may  be  seen  together.  There  are  essential  points  of  difference 
in  the  habits  of  the  two  species.  The  guanacos  are  dwellers 
among  the  rocks,  and  are  most  at  home  when  bounding  from 
cliff  to  cliff,  and  ledge  to  ledge.  They  make  but  a  poor  run 
upon  the  level  grassy  plain,  and  their  singular  contorted  hoofs 
seem  to  be  adapted  for  their  favourite  haunts.  The"  vicunas,  on 
the  contrary,  prefer  the  smooth  turf  of  the  table  plains,  over 
which  they  dart  with  the  swiftness  of  the  deer.  Both  are  of  the 
same  family  of  quadrupeds,  but  with  this  very  essential  difference 
— the  one  is  a  dweller  of  the  level  plain,  the  other  of  the  rocky 
declivity  ;  and  nature  has  adapted  each  to  its  respective  habitat." 

Here  the  narrator  was  interrupted  by  the  hunter-naturalist,  who 
stated  that  he  had  observed  this  curious  fact  in  relation  to  other 
animals  of  a  very  different  genus,  and  belonging  to  the  fauna 
of  North  America.  "  The  animals  I  speak  of,"  said  he,  "  are  indi 
genous  to  the  region  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  wellknown 
to  our  trapper  friends  here.  They  are  the  big  horn  ( Ovis  mon- 
tana)  and  the  prong-horned  antelope  (A.  furcifcr).  The  big 
horn  is  usually  denominated  a  sheep,  though  it  possesses  far  more 
of  the  characteristics  of  the  deer  and  antelope  families.  Like 
the  chamois,  it  is  a  dweller  among  the  rocky  cliffs  and  declivities, 
and  only  there  does  it  feel  at  home,  and  in  the  full  enjoyment  of 


HUNTING    THE   VICUNA.  147 

its  faculties  for  security.  Place  it  upon  a  level  plain,  and  you 
deprive  it  of  confidence,  and  render  its  capture  comparatively 
easy.  At  the  base  of  these  very  cliffs  on  which  the  Ocis  mon- 
tana  disports  itself,  roams  the  prong-horn,  not  very  dissimilar 
either  in  form,  colour,  or  habits  ;  and  yet  this  creature,  trusting 
to  its  heels  for  safety,  feels  at  home  and  secure  only  on  the  wide 
open  plain  where  it  can  see  the  horizon  around  it  !  Such  is  the 
difference  in  the  mode  of  life  of  two  species  of  animals  almost 
congeneric,  and  I  am  not  surprised  to  hear  you  state  that 
a  somewhat  like  difference  exists  between  the  guanaco  and 
vicuna." 

The  hunter-naturalist  was  again  silent,  and  the  narrator 
continued. 

"  A  few  more  strides  up  the  mountain  pass  brought  us  to  the 
edge  of  the  plain,  where  we  expected  to  see  the  vicunas.  We 
were  not  disappointed.  A  herd  was  feeding  upon  it,  though  at 
a  good  distance  off.  A  beautiful  sight  they  were,  quite  equalling 
in  grace  and  stateliness  the  lordly  deer.  In  fact,  they  might  have 
passed  for  the  latter  to  an  unpractised  eye,  particularly  at  that 
season  when  the  deer  are  '  in  the  red.'  Indeed  the  vicuna  is 
more  deer-like  than  any  other  animal  except  the  antelope — much 
more  so  than  its  congeners  the  llama,  alpaca,  or  guanaco.  Its 
form  is  slender,  and  its  gait  light  and  agile,  while  the  long  taper 
ing  neck  and  head  add  to  the  resemblance.  The  colour,  how 
ever,  is  peculiarly  its  own,  and  any  one  accustomed  to  seeing  the 
vicuna  can  distinguish  the  orange-red  of  its  silky  coat  at  a 
glance,  and  at  a  great  distance.  So  peculiar  is  it,  that  in  Peru 
the  'Color  de  vicuna'  (vicuna  colour)  has  become  a  specific 
name. 

"  My  companion  at  once  pronounced  the  animals  before  us  a 
herd  of  vicunas.  There  were  about  twenty  in  all,  and  all 
except  one  were  quietly  feeding  on  the  grassy  plain.  This  one 
stood  apart,  his  long  neck  raised  high  in  air,  and  his  head 
occasionally  turning  from  side  to  side,  as  though  he  was  keeping 


148  THE    EUNTEKS'    FEAST. 

watch  for  the  rest.  Such  was  in  fact  the  duty  he  was  perform 
ing  ;  he  was  the  leader  of  the  herd — the  patriarch,  husband 
and  father  of  the  flock.  All  the  others  were  ewes  or  young 
ones.  So  affirmed  my  companion. 

"  The  vicuna  is  polygamous — fights  for  his  harem  with  despe 
rate  fierceness,  watches  over  its  number  while  they  feed  or  sleep, 
chooses  the  ground  for  browsing  and  rest — defends  them  against 
enemies — heads  them  in  the  advance,  and  covers  their  retreat 
with  his  own  '  person ' — such  is  the  domestic  economy  of  the 
vicuna. 

11 '  Now,  senor,'  said  the  hunter,  eyeing  the  herd,  '  if  I  could 
only  kill  him  (he  pointed  to  the  leader)  I  would  have  no  trouble 
with  the  rest.  I  should  get  every  one  of  them.' 

"  '  How  T  I  inquired. 

«  <  Oh  !— they  would  1— ha  I     The  very  thing  I  wished  for  !' 

" '  What  T 

"  '  They  are  heading  towards  yonder  rocks.'  He  pointed  to 
a  clump  of  rocky  boulders  that  lay  isolated  near  one  side  of  the 
plain — '  let  us  get  there,  comrade — vamos  /' 

"We  stole  cautiously  round  the  edge  of  the  mountain  until 
the  rocks  lay  between  us  and  the  game  ;  and  then  crouched  for 
ward  and  took  our  position  among  them.  We  lay  behind  a 
jagged  boulder,  whose  seamed  outline  looked  as  if  it  had  been 
designed  for  loop-hole  firing.  It  was  just  the  cover  we  wanted. 

"  We  peeped  cautiously  through  the  cracks  of  the  rock. 
Already  the  vicunas  were  near,  almost  within  range  of  our 
pieces.  I  held  in  my  hands  a  double-barrel,  loaded  in  both 
barrels  with  large-sized  buck-shot ;  my  companion's  weapon  was 
a  long  Spanish  rifle. 

"  I  received  his  instructions  in  a  whisper.  I  was  not  to  shoot 
until  he  had  fired.  Both  were  to  aim  at  the  leader.  About 
this  he  was  particular,  and  I  promised  obedience. 

"  The  unconscious  herd  drew  near.  The  leader,  with  the  long 
white  silky  hair  hanging  from  his  breast,  was  in  the  advance, 


HUNTING   THE   VICUNA.1  149 

and  upon  him  the  eyes  of  both  of  us  were  fixed.  T  could  observe 
his  glistening  orbs,  and  his  attitude  of  pride,  as  he  turned  at 
intervals  to  beckon  his  followers  on. 

"  '  I  hope  he  has  got  the  worms/  muttered  my  companion  ;  'if 
he  has,  he'll  come  to  rub  his  hide  upon  the  rocks.' 

"  Some  such  intention  was  no  doubt  guiding  the  vicuna,  for  at 
that  moment  it  stretched  forth  its  neck  and  trotted  a  few  paces 
towards  us.  It  suddenly  halted.  The  wind  was  in  our  favour, 
else  we  should  have  been  scented  long  ago.  But  we  were  sus 
pected.  The  creature  halted,  threw  up  its  head,  struck  the 
ground  with  its  hoof,  and  uttered  a  strange  cry,  somewhat  resem 
bling  the  whistling  of  a  deer.  The  echo  of  that  cry  was  the  ring 
of  my  companion's  rifle,  and  I  saw.  the  vicuna  leap  up  and  fall 
dead  upon  the  plain. 

"I  expected  the  others  to  break  off  in  flight,  and  was  about 
to  fire  at  them  though  they  were  still  at  long  range.  My  com 
panion  prevented  me. 

"'Hold  I'  he  whispered,  'you'll  have  a  better  chance — see 
there  ! — now,  if  you  like,  Senor  I' 

"  To  my  surprise,  the  herd,  instead  of  attempting  to  escape, 
came  trotting  up  to  where  the  leader  lay,  and  commenced 
running  around  at  intervals,  stooping  over  the  body,  and  utter 
ing  plaintive  cries. 

"  It  was  a  touching  sight,  but  the  hunter  is  without  pity  for 
what  he  deems  his  lawful  game.  In  an  instant  I  had  pulled 
both  triggers,  and  both  barrels  had  sent  forth  their  united  and 
deadly  showers. 

"  Deadly,  indeed — when  the  smoke  blew  aside,  nearly  half  of 
the  herd  were  seen  lying  quiet  or  kicking  on  the  plain. 

"  The  rest  remained  as  before  !  another  ring  ol"  the  long  rifle, 
and  another  fell — another  double  detonation  of  the  heavy  deer 
gun,  and  several  came  to  the  ground  •  and  so  continued  the 
alternate  fire  of  bullets  and  shot,  until  the  whole  herd  were 
strewn  dead  and  dying  upon  the  ground  ! 


150  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"Our  work  was  done — a  great  day's  work  for  iny  companion, 
who  would  realize  nearly  a  hundred  dollars  for  the  produce  of 
his  day's  sport. 

"  This,  however,  he  assured  me  was  a  very  unusual  piece  of 
good  luck.  Often  for  days  and  even  weeks,  he  would  range  the 
mountains  without  killing  a  single  head  —  either  vicuna  or 
guanaco,  and  only  twice  before  had  he  succeeded  in  thus  making 
a  lattue  of  a  whole  herd.  Once  he  had  approached  a  flock  of 
vicunas  disguised  in  the  skin  of  a  guanaco,  and  killed  most  of 
them  before  they  thought  of  retreating. 

"  It  was  necessary  for  us  to  return  to  the  hut  for  our  horses, 
in  order  to  carry  home  the  game,  and  this  required  several 
journeys  to  be  made.  To  keep  off  the  wolves  and  condors  my 
companion  made  use  of  a  very  simple  expedient,  which  I  believe 
is  often  used  in  the  North — among  your  prairie  trappers  here. 
Several  bladders  were  taken  fcpm  the  vicunas  and  inflated. 
They  were  then  tied  upon  poles  of  maguey,  and  set  upright  over 
the  carcasses,  so  as  to  dangle  and  dance  about  in  the  wind. 
Cunning  as  is  the  Andes  wolf,  this  '  scare '  is  sufficient  to  keep 
him  off,  as  well  as  his  ravenous  associate,  the  condor. 

"  It  was  quite  night  when  we  reached  the  Indian  hut  with 
our  last  load.  Both  of  us  were  wearied  and  hungry,  but  a  fresh 
vicuna  cutlet,  washed  down  by  the  Catalan,  and  followed  by  a 
cigarette,  made  us  forget  our  fatigues.  My  host  was  more  than 
satisfied  with  his  day's  work,  and  promised  me  a  guanaco  hunt 
for  the  morrow." 


A   CHACU    OF   VICUNAS.  151 


CHAPTER    XYIII. 

A    CHACU    OF    VICUNAS. 

"WELL,  upon  the  morrow,"  continued  the  Englishman,  "  we 
had  our  guanaco  hunt,  and  killed  several  of  the  herd  we  had 
seen  on  the  previous  day.  There  was  nothing  particular  in 
regard  to  our  mode  of  hunting — farther  than  to  use  all  our  cun 
ning  in  getting  within  shot,  and  then  letting  fly  at  them. 

"It  is  not  so  easy  getting  near  the  guanaco.  He  is  among 
the  shyest  game  I  have  ever  hunted,  and  his  position  is  usually 
so  far  above  that  of  the  hunter,  that  he  commands  at  all  times 
a  view  of  the  movements  of  the  latter.  The  overhanging  rocks, 
however,  help  one  a  little,  and  by  diligent  creeping  he  is  some 
times  approached.  It  requires  a  dead  shot  to  bring  him  down, 
for,  if  only  wounded,  he  will  scale  the  cliffs,  and  make  off — 
perhaps  to  die  in  some  inaccessible  haunt. 

"  While  sojourning  with  my  hunter-friend,  I  heard  of  a  singu 
lar  method  practised  by  the  Indians  of  capturing  the  vicuna  in 
large  numbers.  This  was  called  the  '  chacu.' 

"  Of  course,  I  became  very  desirous  of  witnessing  a  '  chacu/ 
and  the  hunter  promised  to  gratify  me.  It  was  now  the  season 
of  the  year  for  such  expeditions,  and  one  was  to  come  off  in  a 
few  days.  It  was  the  annual  hunt  got  up  by  the  tribe  to  which 
my  host  belonged  ;  and,  of  course,  he,  as  a  practised  and  pro 
fessional  hunter,  was  to  bear  a  distinguished  part  in  the 
ceremony. 

"The  day  before  the  expedition  was  to  set  out,  we  repaired 
to  the  village  of  the  tribe — a  collection  of  rude  huts,  straggling 
along  the  bottom  of  one  of  the  deep  clefts  or  valleys  of  the 
coidilleras.  This  village  lay  several  thousand  feet  below  the 


152  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

level  of  the  Puna  plains,  and  was  therefore  in  a  much  warmer 
climate.  In  fact,  the  sugar-cane  and  yucca  plant  (Jatropha 
mainhot)  were  both  seen  growing  in  the  gardens  of  the  villagers, 
and  Indian  corn  flourished  in  the  fields. 

"The  inhabitants  were  ' Indies  mansos'  (civilized  Indians). 
They  attended  part  of  the  year  to  agriculture,  although  the 
greater  part  of  it  was  spent  in  idleness,  amusements,  or  hunting. 
They  had  been  converted — that  is,  nominally — to  Christianity  ; 
and  a  church  with  its  cross  was  a  prominent  feature  of  the 
village. 

"The  cure,  or  priest,  was  the  only  white  man  resident  in  the 
place,  and  he  was  white  only  by  comparison.  Though  of  pure 
Spanish  blood,  he  would  have  passed  for  a  '  coloured  old  gentle 
man  '  in  any  part  of  Europe  or  the  States. 

"  My  companion  introduced  me  to  the  padre,  and  I  was  at 
once  received  upon  terms  of  intimacy.  To  my  surprise,  I  learnt 
that  he  was  to  accompany  the  chacu — in  fact,  to  take  a  leading 
part  in  it.  He  seemed  to  be  as  much  interested  in  the  success 
of  the  hunt  as  any  of  them — more  so,  perhaps,  and  with  good 
reason,  too.  I  afterwards  learnt  why.  The  produce  of  the 
annual  hunt  was  part  of  the  padre's  income.  By  an  established 
law,  the  skins  of  the  vicunas  were  the  property  of  the  church, 
and  these,  being  worth  on  the  spot  at  least  a  dollar  apiece, 
formed  no  despicable  tithe.  After  hearing  this,  I  was  at  no  loss 
to  understand  the  padre's  enthusiasm  about  the  chacu.  All  the 
day  before  he  had  been  bustling  about  among  his  parishioners, 
aiding  them  with  his  counsel,  and  assisting  them  in  their  pre 
parations.  I  shared  the  padre's  dwelling,  the  best  in  the 
village  ;  his  supper,  too — a  stewed  fowl,  killed  for  the  occasion, 
and  rendered  fiery  hot  with  '  aji/  or  capsicum.  This  wa^ 
washed  down  with  '  chica,7  and  afterwards  the  padre  and  I 
indulged  in  a  cigarette  and  a  chat. 

"He  was  a  genuine  specimen  of  the  South- American  mission 
ary  priest  ;  rather  more  scrupulous  about  getting  his  dues  than 


A    CHACU    OF   VICUNAS.  153 

about  the  moral  welfare  of  his  flock  ;  fat,  somewhat  greasy, 
fond  of  a  good  dinner,  'a  glass  of  '  Yea '  brandy,  and  a  cigar 
ette.  Nevertheless,  his  rule  was  patriarchal  in  a  high  degree, 
and  he  was  a  favourite  with  the  simple  people  among  whom  he 
dwelt. 

"  Morning  came,  and  the  expedition  set  forth  ;  not,  however, 
until  a  grand  ma^s  had  been  celebrated  in  the  church,  and 
prayers  offered  up  iv  r  the  success  of  the  hunt.  The  cavalcade 
then  got  under  weigh,  and  commenced  winding  up  the  rugged 
path  that  led  toward  the  '  Altos,'  or  Puna  heights.  We  travel 
led  in  a  different  direction  from  that  in  which  my  companion  and 
I  had  come. 

"  The  expedition  itself  was  a  picturesque  affair.  There  were 
horses,  mules,  and  llamas,  men,  women,  children,  and  dogs  ;  in 
fact,  almost  every  living  thing  in  the  village  had  turned  out. 
A  chacu  is  no  common  occasion — no  one  day  affair.  It  was  to 
be  an  affair  of  weeks.  There  were  rude  tents  carried  along  ; 
blankets  and  cooking  utensils  ;  and  the  presence  of  the  women 
was  as  necessary  as  any  part  of  the  expedition.  Their  office 
would  be  to  do  the  cooking,  and  keep  the  camp  in  order,  as  well 
as  to  sssist  in  the  hunt. 

"  Strung  out  in  admirable  confusion,  we  climbed  up  the 
mountain — a  picturesque  train — the  men  swinging  along  in  their 
coloured  ponchos  of  llama  wool,  and  the  women  dressed  in  bright 
mantas  of  ;  bay  eta  '  (a  coarse  cloth,  of  native  manufacture).  I 
noticed  several  mules  and  llamas  packed  with  loads  of  a  curious 
character.  Some  carried  large  bundles  of  rags — others  were 
loaded  with  coils  of  rope — while  several  were  '  freighted '  with 
&hort  poles,  tied  in  bunches.  I  had  observed  these  cargoes 
being  prepared  before  leaving  the  village,  and  could  not  divine 
the  use  of  them.  That  would  no  doubt  be  explained  when  we 
had  reached  the  scene  of  the  chacu,  and  I  forbore  to  trouble 
my  companions  with  any  interrogatories,  as  I  had  enough  to  do 
to  guide  my  horse  along  the  slippery  path  we  were  travelling. 

7* 


154 

"  About  a  mile  from  the  village  there  was  a  sudden  halt.  I 
inquired  the  cause. 

"  '  The  huaro,1  was  the  reply. 

"  I  knew  the  huaro  to  be  the  name  of  a  peculiar  kind  of 
bridge,  arid  I  learnt  that  one  was  here  to  be  crossed.  I  rode 
forward,  and  found  myself  in  front  of  the  huaro.  A  singular 
structure  it  was.  I  could  scarcely  believe  in  the  practicability 
of  our  getting  over  it.  The  padre,  however,  assured  me  it  was 
a  good  one,  and  we  should  all  be  on  the  other  side  in  a  couple 
of  hours  ! 

"  I  at  first  felt  inclined  to  treat  this  piece  of  information  as  a 
joke  :  but  it  proved  that  the  priest  was  in  earnest.  It  was  full 
two  hours  before  we  were  all  crossed  with  our  bag  and  baggage. 

"The  huaro  was  nothing  more  than  a  thick  rope  stretched 
across  the  chasm,  and  made  fast  at  both  ends.  On  this  rope 
was  a  strong  piece  of  wood,  bent  into  the  shape  of  the  letter  U, 
and  fastened  to  a  roller  which  rested  upon  the  rope,  and  moved 
along  it  when  pulled  by  a  cord  from  either  side.  There  were 
two  cords,  or  ropes,  attached  to  the  roller,  one  leading  to  each 
side  of  the  chasm,  and  their  object  was  to  drag  the  passenger 
across  ;  of  course,  only  one  of  us  could  be  carried  over  at  a 
time.  No  wonder  we  were  so  long  in  making  the  crossing,  when 
there  were  over  one  hundred  in  all,  with  numerous  articles  of 
baggage. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  sensations  I  experienced  in  making 
the  passage  of  the  huaro.  I  had  felt  giddy  enough  in  going 
over  the  '  soga '  bridges  and  '  barbacoas '  common  throughout 
Peru,  but  the  passage  of  the  hnaro  is  really  a  gymnastic  feat  of 
no  easy  accomplishment.  I  was  first  tied,  back  downwards, 
with  my  back  resting  in  the  concavity  of  the  bent  wood  :  my 
legs  were  then  crossed  over  the  main — the  bridge  itself — with 
nothing  to  hold  them  there  farther  than  my  own  muscular  exer 
tion.  With  my  hands  I  clutched  the  vertical  side  of  the  wooden 
yoke,  and  was  told  to  keep  my  head  in  as  upright  a  position  as 


A    CHACU    OF    VICUNAS.  155 

possible.  Without  farther  ado,-  I  felt  myself  jerked  out  until  I 
hung  in  empty  air  over  a  chasm  that  opened  at  least  two  hundred 
feet  beneath,  and  through  the  bottom  of  which  a  white  torrent 
was  foaming  over  black  rocks  !  My  ankles  slipped  along  the 
rope,  but  the  sensation  was  so  strange,  that  I  felt  several  times 
on  the  point  of  letting  them  drop  off.  In  that  case  my  situation 
would  have  been  still  more  painful,  as  I  should  have  depended 
mainly  on  my  arms  for  support.  Indeed,  I  held  on  tightly  with 
both  hands,  as  I  fancied  that  the  cord  with  which  I  had  been 
tied  to  the  yoke  would  every  minute  give  way. 

"  After  a  good  deal  of  jerking  and  hauling,  I  found  myself  on 
the  opposite  side,  and  once  more  on  my  feet  ! 

"  I  was  almost  repaid  for  the  fright  I  had  gone  through,  by 
seeing  the  great  fat  padre  pulled  over.  It  was  certainly  a 
ludicrous  sight,  and  I  laughed  the  more,  as  I  fancied  the  old 
fellow  had  taken  occasion  to  laugh  at  me.  He  took  it  all  in 
good  part,  however,  telling  me  that  it  caused  him  no  fear,  as  he 
had  long  been  accustomed  to  those  kind  of  bridges. 

"  This  slow  and  laborious  method  of  crossing  streams  is  not 
uncommon  in  many  parts  of  the  Andes.  It  occurs  in  retired 
and  thinly-populated  districts,  where  there  is  no  means  for 
building  bridges  of  regular  construction.  Of  course,  the  travel 
ler  himself  only  can  be  got  over  by  the  huaro.  His  horse,  mule, 
or  llamas  must  swim  the  stream,  and  in  many  instances  these  are 
carried  off  by  the  rapid  current,  or  dashed  against  the  rocks, 
and  killed. 

"The  whole  cavallada  of  the  expedition  got  safely  over,  and 
in  a  short  while  we  were  en  route,  once  more  climbing  up  toward 
the  '  altos.'  I  asked  my  companion  why  we  could  not  have  got 
over  the  stream  at  some  other  point,  and  thus  have  saved  the 
time  and  labour.  The  answer  was,  that  it  would  have  cost  us 
a  twenty  miles'  journey  to  have  reached  a  point  no  nearer  our 
destination  than  the  other  end  of  the  huaro  rope  1  No  wonder 
such  pains  had  been  taken  to  ferry  the  party  across. 


156  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  We  reached  the  heights  late  in  the  evening.  The  hunt 
would  not  begin  until  the  next  day. 

"That  evening  was  spent  in  putting  up  tents,  and  getting 
everything  in  order  about  the  camp.  The  tent  of  the  padre 
was  conspicuous — it  was  the  largest,  and  I  was  invited  to  share 
it  with  him.  The  horses  and  other  animals  were  picketted  or 
hoppled  upon  the  plain,  which  was  covered  with  a  short  brown 
grass. 

"  The  air  was-  chill — cold,  in  fact — we  were  nearly  three 
miles  above  ocean  level.  The  women  and  youths  employed 
themselves  in  collecting  taquia  to  make  fires.  There  was  plenty 
of  this,  for  the  plain  where  we  had  halted  was  a  pasture  of  large 
flocks  of  llamas  and  horned  cattle.  It  was  not  there  we  expected 
to  fall  in  with  the  vicunas.  A  string  of  '  altos,'  still  farther  on, 
were  their  favourite  haunts.  Our  first  camp  was  sufficiently 
convenient  to  begin  the  hunt.  It  would  be  moved  farther  on 
when  the  plains  in  its  neighbourhood  had  been  hunted,  and  the 
game  should  grow  scarce. 

"  Morning  arrived  ;  but  before  daybreak,  a  large  party  had 
set  off,  taking  with  them  the  ropes,  poles,  and  bundles  of  rags 
I  have  already  noticed.  The  women  and  boys  accompanied  this 
party.  Their  destination  was  a  large  table  plain,  contiguous  to 
that  on  which  we  had  encamped. 

"  An  hour  afterwards  the  rest  of  the  party  set  forth — most 
of  them  mounted  one  way  or  other.  These  were  the  real  hunters 
or  'drivers.7  Along  with  them  went  the  dogs — the  whole 
canine  population  of  the  village,  I  should  have  preferred 
riding  with  this  party,  but  the  padre  took  me  along  with  him 
self,  promising  to  guide  me  to  a  spot  where  I  should  get  the 
best  view  of  the  chacu.  He  and  I  rode  forward  alone. 

"In  half  an  hour  we  reached  the  plain  where  the  first  party 
had  gone.  They  were  all  at  work  as  we  came  up — scattere4 
over  the  plain — and  I  now  saw  the  use  that  was  to  be  made  of 
the  ropes  ar,d  rags.  With  them  a  pound,  Qr  '  corral/  was  in 


A   CHACU    OF   VICUNAS.  157 

process  of  construction.  Part  of  it  was  already  finished,  and  I 
perceived  that  it  was  to  be  of  a  circular  shape..  The  poles,  or 
stakes,  were  driven  into  the  ground  in  a  curving  line  at  a  dis 
tance  of  about  a  rod  from  each  other.  When  thus  driven,  each 
stake  stood  four  feet  high,  and  from  the  top  of  one  to  the"  other, 
ropes  were  ranged  and  tied,  thus  making  the  inclosure  complete. 
Along  these  ropes  were  knotted  the  rags  and  strips  of  cotton, 
so  as  to  hang  nearly  to  the  ground,  or  flutter  in  the  wind  ;  and 
this  slight  semblance  of  a  fence  was  continued  over  the  plain  in 
a  circumference  of  nearly  three  miles  in  length.  One  side,  for  a 
distance  of  several  hundred  yards,  was  left  unfinished,  and  this 
was  the  entrance  to  the  corral.  Of  course,  this  was  in  the 
direction  from  which  the  drove  was  to  come. 

"  As  soon  as  the  inclosure  was  ready,  those  engaged  upon  it 
withdrew  in  two  parties  to  the  opposite  flanks,  and  then  deployed 
off  in  diverging  lines,  so  as  to  form  a  sort  of  funnel  at  least  two 
miles  in  width.  In  this  position  they  remained  to  await  the  result 
of  the  drive,  most  of  them  squatting  down  to  rest  them 
selves. 

41  Meanwhile  the  drive  was  proceeding,  although  the  hunters 
engaged  in  it  were  at  a  great  distance — scarcely  seen  from  our 
position.  They  too,  had  gone  out  in  two  parties,  taking  oppo 
site  directions,  and  skirting  the  hills  that  surrounded  the  plain. 
Their  circuit  could  not  have  been  less  than  a  dozen  miles  ;  and, 
as  soon  as  fairly  round,  they  deployed  themselves  into  a  long 
arc,  with  its  concavity  towards  the  rope  corral.  Then,  facing 
inward,  the  forward  movement  commenced.  Whatever  animals 
chanced  to  bo  feeding  between  them  and  the  enclosure  were 
almost  certain  of  being  driven  out. 

"  The  padre  had  led  me  to  an  elevated  position  among  the 
rocks.  It  commanded  a  view  of  the  rope  circle  ;  but  we  were  a 
long  while  waiting  before  the  drivers  came  in  sight.  At  length 
we  descried  the  line  of  mounted  men  far  off  upon  the 'plain,  and, 
on  closely  scrutinising  the  ground  between  them  and  us,  we  could 


153  T;I:-:  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

distinguisli  several  reddish  forms  gliding  about :  these  were  the 
vicunas.  There  appeared  to  be  several  bands  of  them,  as  we 
saw  some  at  different  points.  They  were  crossing  and  recrossing 
the  line  of  the  drive,  evidently  startled,  and  not  knowing  in  what 
direction  to  run.  Every  now  and  then  a  herd,  led  by  its  old 
male,  could  be  seen  shooting  in  a  straight  line — then  suddenly 
making  a  halt — and  the  next  minute  sweeping  off  in  a  contrary 
direction.  Their  beautiful  orange-red  flanks,  glistening  in  the 
sun,  enabled  us  to  mark  them  at  a  great  distance. 

"  The  drivers  came  nearer  and  nearer,  until  we  could  distin 
guish  the  forms  of  the  horsemen  as  they  rose  over  the  swells  of 
the  plain.  We  could  now  hear  their  shouts — the  winding  of 
their  ox-horns,  and  even  the  yelping  of  their  dogs.  But  what 
most  gratified  my  companion  was  to  see  that  several  herds  of 
vicunas  were  bounding  backwards  and  forwards  in  front  of  the 
advancing  line. 

"  '  Mir  a  !'  he  cried  exultingly,  •'  mira f  Senor,  one,  two,  three, 
four — four  herds,  and  large  ones — ah  !  Carrambo  !  Jesus  !  con 
tinued  he,  suddenly  changing  tone.  '  carrambo  !  esos  malditos 
guanacos !'  (those  cursed  guanacos).  I  looked  as  he  was  point 
ing.  I  noticed  a  small  band  of  guanacos  springing  over  the 
plain.  I  could  easily  distinguish  them  from  the  vicunas  by  their 
being  larger  and  less  graceful  in  their  motions,  but  more  particu 
larly  by  the  duller  hue  of  brownish  red.  But  what  was  there 
in  their  presence  to  draw  down  the  maledictions  of  the  padre, 
which  he  continued  to  lavish  upon  them  most  unsparingly  ?  I 
put  the  question. 

"'Ah!  Senor,'  he  answered  with  a  sigh,  'these  guanacos 
will  spoil  all — they  will  ruin  the  hunt.  Caspita  ! ' 

"  '  How  ?  in  what  manner,  mio  padre  ?'  I  asked  in  my  inno 
cence,  thinking  that  a  fine  herd  of  guanacos  would  be  inclosed 
along  with  their  cousins,  and  that,  '  all  were  fish/  &c. 

"  '  Ah  !'  exclaimed  the  padre,  'these  guanacos  are hereticos — 
reckless  brutes,  they  pay  no  regard  to  the  ropes — they  will  break 


A    CHACU    OF   VICUNAS,  159 

through  and  let  the  others  escape — santissima  virgen !  what  is 
to  be  done  ?' 

"  Nothing  could  be  done  except  leave  things  to  take  their 
course,  for  in  "a  few  minutes  the  horsemen  were  seen  advancing, 
until  their  line  closed  upon  the  funnel  formed  by  the  others. 
The  vicunas,  in  several  troops  now  rushed  wildly  from  side  to 
side,  turning  sharply  as  they  approached  the  figures  of  the  nfen 
and  women,  and  running  in  the  opposite  direction.  There  were 
some  fifty  or  sixty  in  all,  and  at  length  they  got  together  in  a 
single  but  confused  clump.  The  guanacos,  eight  or  ten  in  num 
ber,  became  mixed  up  with  them,  and  after  several  quarterings, 
the  whole  flock,  led  by  one  that  thought  it  had  discovered  the 
way  of  escape,  struck  off  into  a  gallop,  and  dashed  into  the 
enclosure. 

"  The  hunters  who  were  a-foot  with  the  women,  now  rushed 
to  the  entrance  and  in  a  short  while  new  stakes  were  driven  in, 
ropes  tied  upon  them,  rags  attached,  and  the  circle  of  the  chacu 
was  complete. 

"The  mounted  hunters  at  the  same  time  had  galloped  around 
the  outside,  and  flinging  themselves  from  their  horses,  took  their 
stations  at  intervals  from  each  other.  Each  now  prepared  his 
'  bolas/  ready  to  advance  and  commence  the  work  of  death,  as 
soon  as  the  corral  should  be  fairly  surrounded  by  the  women  and 
boys  who  acted  as  assistants. 

"  The  hunters  now  advanced  towards  the  centre,  swinging 
their  bolas,  and  shouting  to  one  another  to  direct  the  attack. 
The  frightened  vicunas  rushed  from  side  to  side,  everywhere 
headed  by  an  Indian.  Now  they  broke  into  confused  masses 
and  ran  in  different  directions — now  they  united  again  and  swept 
in  graceful  curves  over  the  plain.  Everywhere  the  bolas  whizzed 
through  the  air,  and  soon  the  turf  was  strewed  with  forms 
sprawling  and  kicking.  A  strange  picture  was  presented.  Here 
a  hunter  stood  with  the  leaden  balls  whirling  around  his  head — 
there  another  rushed  forward  upon  a  vicuna  hoppled  and  falling 


160  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

— a  third  bent  over  one  that  was  already  down,  anon  he  bran 
dished  a  bleeding  knife,  and  then,  releasing  the  thong  from  the 
limbs  of  his  victim,  again  swung  his  bolas  in  the  air,  and  rushed 
forward  in  the  chase. 

"An  incident  occurred  near  the  beginning  of  the  melee,  which 
was  very  gratifying  to  my  companion  the  padre,  and  at  once 
restored  the  equanimity  of  his  temper.  The  herd  of  guanacos 
succeeded  in  making  their  escape,  and  without  compromising 
the  success  of  the  hunt.  This,  however,  was  brought  about 
by  a  skilful  manoeuvre  on  the  part  of  my  old  friend  the  Puna 
hunter.  These  animals  had  somehow  or  other  got  separated 
from  the  vicunas,  and  dashed  off  to  a  distant  part  of  the  inclo- 
sure.  Seeing  this,  the  hunter  sprang  to  his  horse,  and  calling 
his  pack  of  curs  after  him,  leaped  over  the  rope  fence  and  dashed 
forward  after  the  guanacos.  He  soon  got  directly  in  their  rear, 
and  signalling  those  who  stood  in  front  to  separate  and  let  the 
guanacos  pass,  he  drove  them  out  of  the  inclosure.  They  went 
head  foremost  against  the  ropes,  breaking  them  free  from  the 
stakes  ;  but  the  hunter,  galloping  up,  guarded  the  opening  until 
the  ropes  and  rags  were  freshly  adjusted. 

"  The  poor  vicunas,  nearly  fifty  in  number,  were  all  killed  or 
captured.  When  pursued  up  to  the  'sham-fence'  they  neither 
attempted  to  rush  against  it  or  leap  over,  but  would  wheel  sud 
denly  round,  and  run  directly  in  the  faces  of  their  pur 
suers  ! 

"The  sport  became  even  more  interesting  when  all  but  a  few 
were  hors  de  combat.  Then  the  odd  ones  that  remained  were 
each  attacked  by  several  hunters  at  once,  and  the  rushing  and 
doubling  of  the  animals — the  many  headings  and  turnings — the 
shouts  of  the  spectators — the  whizzing  of  the  bolas — sometimes 
two  or  three  of  these  missiles  hurled  at  a  single  victim — all  com 
bined  to  furnish  a  spectacle  to  me  novel  and  exciting. 

"  About  twenty  minutes  after  the  animals  entered  the  rope 
inclosure  the  last  of  them,  was  seen  to  *  bite  the  dust,'  and  the 


A    CHACU   OF   VICUNAS.  161 

chacu  of  that  day  was  over.  Then  came  the  mutual  congratu 
lations  of  the  hunters,  and  the  joyous  mingling  of  voices.  The 
slain  vicunas  were  collected  in  a  heap — the  skins  stripped  off, 
and  the  flesh  divided  among  the  different  families  who  took  part 
in  the  chacu. 

-"  The  skins,  as  we  have  said,  fell  to  the  share  of  the  '  church,7 
that  is,  to  the  church's  representative — the  padre,  and  this  waa 
certainly  the  lion's  share  of  the  day's  product. 

"  The  ropes  were  now  unfastened  and  coiled — the  rags  once 
more»bundled,  and  the  stakes  pulled  up  and  collected — all  to  be 
used  on  the  morrow  in  some  other  part  of  the  Puna.  The  meat 
was  packed  on  the  horses  and  mules,  and  the  hunting  party,  if- 
a  long  string,  proceeded  to  camp.  Then  followed  a  scene  of 
feasting  and  merriment — such. as  did  not  fall  to  the  lot  of  thesk 
poor  people  ever  day  in  the  year. 

"  This  chacu  lasted  ten  days,  during  which  time  I  remained 
in  the  company  of  my  half-savage  friends.  The  whola  game 
killed  amounted  to  five  hundred  and  odd  vicunas,  with  a  score 
or  two  guanacos,  several  tarush,  or  deer  of  the  Ande?  ( r)&  vis 
antisensis)  and  half  a  dozen  bjack  bears  (Ursus  ornat^s\  Of 
course  only  the  vicunas  were  taken  in  the  chacu.  The  other 
animals  were  started  incidentally,  and  killed  b^  tlie  hunters 
either  with  their  bblas,  or  guns,  with  which  a  fev/  (A  them  were 
armed. 

The  "chacu"  of  the  Andes  Indiana  crrrtuponds  to  the 
"  surround "  of  the  Indian  hunters  on  the  great  plains  of 
North  America.  In  the  latter  case,  however,  buffaloes  are 
usually  the  objects  of  pursuit,  and  no  fence  is  attempted — the 
hunters  trusting  to  their  horses  to  keep  the  wild  oxen  enclosed. 
The  "pound"  is  another  mode  of  capturing  wild  animals  prac 
tised  by  several  tribes  of  Indians  in  the  Hudson's  Bay  territory. 
In  this  case  the  game  is  caribou  or  reindeer,  but  no  rope  fence 
wouid  serve  to  impound  these.  A  good  substantial  inclosure 
of  branches  and  trees  is  necessary,  and  the  construction  of  a 


162  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  pound  "  is  the  work  of  time  and  labour.  I  know  of  no  animal 
except  the  vicuna  itself,  that  could  be  captured  after  the  manner 
practiced  in  the  "  chacu." 


CHAPTER    XIX. 

SQUIRREL   SHOOTING. 

WE  were  now  travelling  among  the  spurs  of  the  "  Ozark 
hills,"  and  our  road  was  a  more  difficult  one.  The  ravines  were 
deeper,  and  as  our  course  obliged  us  to  cross  the  direction  in  which 
most  of  them  ran,  we  were  constantly  climbing  or  descending  the 
sides  of  steep  ridges.  There  was  no  road  except  a  faint  Indian 
trail,  used  by  the  Kansas  in  their  occasional  excursions  to  the 
borders  of  the  settlements.  At  times  we  were  compelled  to  cut 
away  the  underwood,  and  ply  the  axe  lustily  upon  some  huge 
trunk  that  had  fallen  across  the  path  and  obstructed  the  passage 
of  the  waggon.  This  rendered  our  progress  but  slow. 

During  such  halt  most  of  the  party  strayed  off  into  the  woods 
in  search  of  game.  Squirrels  were  the  only  four-footed  crea 
tures  found,  and  enough  of  these  were  shot  to  make  a  good- 
sized  "  pof-pie  ;"  and  it  may  be  here  remarked,  that  no  sort  of 
flesh  is  better  for  this  purpose  than  that  of  the  squirrel. 

The  species  found  in  these  words  was  the  large  "cat-squirrel" 
( Sciurus  cinereus},  one  of  the  noblest  of  its  kind.  Of  course  at 
that  season,  amid  the  plenitude  of  seeds,  nuts,  and  berries,  they 
were  as  plump  as  partridges.  This  species  is  usually  in  good 
condition,  and  its  flesh  the  best  flavoured  of  all.  In  the  markets 
of  New  York  they  bring  three  times  the  price  of  the  common 
grey  squirrel. 

As  we  rode  along,  the  naturalist  stated  many  facts  in  relation 
to  the  squirrel  tribe,  that  were  new  to  most  of  us.  He  said  that 


SQUIRREL    SHOOTING.  163 

in  North  America  there  were  not  less  than  twenty  species  of 
true  squirrels,  all  of  them  dwellers  in  the  trees,  and  by  including 
the  "  ground  "  and  "  flying"  squirrels  (tamias  and  pleromys),  the 
cumber  of  species  might  be  more  than  forty.  Of  course  there  are 
still,  new  species  yet  undescribed,  inhabiting  the  half-explored 
regions  of  the  western  territory. 

The  best  known  of  the  squirrels  is  the  common  "  grey  squir 
rel,57  as  it  is  in  most  parts  of  the  United  States  the  most  plenti 
ful.  Indeed  it  is  asserted  that  some  of  the  other  species,  as  the 
"black  squirrel"  (Sciurus  niger),  disappear  from  districts 
where  the  grey  squirrels  become  numerous — as  the  native  rat 
gives  place  to  the  fierce  "  Norway." 

The  true  fox  squirrel  ( S.  vulpinus)  differs  essentially  from 
the  "  cat,"  which  is  also  known  in  many  States  by  the  name  of 
fox  squirrel.  The  former  is  larger,  and  altogether  a  more  active 
animal,  dashing  up  to  the  top  of  a  pine-tree  in  a  single  run. 
The  cat  squirrel,  on  the  contrary,  is  slow  and  timid  among  the 
branches,  and  rarely  mounts  above  the  first  fork,  unless  when 
forced  higher  by  the  near  approach  of  its  enemy.  It  prefers 
concealing  itself  behind  the  trunk,  dodging  round  the  tree  as  the 
hunter  advances  upon  it.  It  has  one  peculiarity,  however,  in  its 
mode  of  escape  that  often  saves  it,  and  disappoints  its  pursuers. 
Unless  very  hotly  pursued  by  a  dog,  or  other  swift  enemy,  it  will 
not  be  treed  until  it  has  reached  the  tree  that  contains  its  nest, 
and  of  course,  it  drops  securely  into  its  hole,  bidding  defiance  to 
whatever  enemy — unless,  indeed  that  enemy  chance  to  be  the 
pine-martin,  which  is  capable  of  following  it  even  to  the  bottom 
of  its  dark  tree-cave. 

Now  most  of  the  other  squirrels  make  a  temporary  retreat  to 
the  nearest  large  tree  that  offers.  This  is  often  without  a  hole 
where  they  can  conceal  themselves,  and  they  are  therefore 
exposed  to  the  small  shot  or  rifle  bullet  from  below. 

It  does  not  always  follow,  however,  that  they  are  brought 
down  from  their  perch  In  very  heavy  bottom  timber  the 


164  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

squirrel  often  escapes  among  the  huge  twigs,  even  where  thero 
are  no  leaves  to  conceal  it,  nor  any  hole  iu  the  tree.  Twenty 
shots,  and  from  good  marksmen  too,  have  been  fired  at  a  single 
squirrel  in  such  situations,  without  bringing  it  to  the  ground,  or 
seriously  wounding  it  1  A  party  of  hunters  have  often  retired 
without  getting  such  game,  and  yet  the  squirrel  has  been  con 
stantly  changing  place,  and  offering  itself  to  be  sighted  in  new 
positions  and  attitudes. 

The  craft  of  the  squirrel  on  these  occasions  is  remarkable.  It 
stretches  its  body  along  the  upper  part  of  a  branch,  elongating 
it  in  such  a  manner,  that  the  branch  not  thicker  than  the  body 
itself,  forms  a  complete  shield  against  the  shot.  The  head,  too, 
is  laid  close,  and  the  tail  no  longer  erect,  but  flattened  along 
the  branch,  so  as  not  to  betray  the  whereabouts  of  the  ani 
mal. 

Squirrel  shooting  is  by  no  means  poor  sport.  It  is  the  most 
common  kind  in  the  United  States,  because  the  squirrel  is  the 
most  common  game.  In  that  country  it  takes  the  place  that 
snipe  or  partridge-shooting  holds  in  England.  In  my  opinion  it 
is  a  sport  superior  to  either  of  these  last,  and  the  game,  when 
killed,  is  not  much  less  in  value.  Good  fat  squirrel  may  be 
cooked  in  a  variety  of  ways,  and  many  people  prefer  it  to  fea 
thered  game  of  any  kind.  It  is  true  the  squirrel  has  a  rat-like 
physiognomy,  but  that  is  only  in  the  eyes  of  strangers  to  him. 
A  residence  in  the  backwoods,  and  a  short  practice  in  the  eat 
ing  of  squirrel  pot-pie,  soon  removes  any  impression  of  that  kind. 
A  hare,  as  brought  upon  the  table-cloth  in  England,  is  ii*r  more 
likely  to  produce  d'egout — from  its  very  striking  likeness  to 
"  puss,"  that  is  purring  upon  the  hearth-rug. 

In  almost  all  parts  of  the  United  States,  a  day's  squirrel- 
shooting  may  be  had  without  the  necessity  of  making  a  very 
long  journey.  There  are  still  tracts  of  woodland  left  untouched, 
where  these  animals  find  a  home.  In  the  Western  States  a 
fiquirrel-hunt  maybe  had  simplj  by  walking  a  couple  of  hun 


SQUIRREL    SHOOTING.  165 

dred  yards  from  your  house,  and  in  some  places  you  may  shoot 
the  creatures  out  of  the  very  door. 

To  make  a  successful  squirrel-hunt  two  persons  at  least  are 
necessary.  If  only  one  goes  out,  the  squirrel  can  avoid  him 
simply  by  "  dodging  "  round  the  trunk,  or  any  large  limb  of  the 
tree.  When  there  are  two,  one  remains  stationary,  while  the 
other  makes  a  circuit,  and  drives  the  game  from  the  opposite 
side.  It  is  still  better  when  three  or  four  persons  make  up  the 
party,  as  then  the  squirrel  is  assailed  on  all  sides,  and  can  find 
no  resting-place,  without  seeing  a  black  tube  levelled  upon  him, 
and  ready  to  send  forth  its  deadly  missile. 

Some  hunt  the  squirrel  with  shot  guns.  These  are  chiefly 
young  hands.  The  old  hunter  prefers  the  rifle  ;  and  in  the 
hands  of  practised  marksmen  this  is  the  better  weapon.  The 
rifle-bullet,  be  it  ever  so  small,  kills  the  game  at  once  ;  whereas 
a  squirrel  severely  peppered  with  shot  will  often  escape  to  the 
tree  where  its  hole  is,  and  drop  in,  often  to  die  of  its  wounds. 
No  creature  c#n  be  more  tenacious  of  life — not  even  a  cat. 
When  badly  wounded  it  will  cling  to  the  twigs  to  its  last  breath, 
and  even  after  death  its  claws  sometimes  retain  their  hold,  and 
its  dead  body  hangs  suspended  to  the  branch  ! 

The  height  from  which  a  squirrel  will  leap  to  the  ground  with 
out  sustaining  injury,  is  one  of  those  marvels  witnessed  by  every 
squirrel-hunter.  When  a  tree  in  which  it  has  taken  refuge  is 
found  not  to  afford  sufficient  shelter,  and  a  neighbouring  tree  is 
not  near  enough  for  it  to  leap  to,  it  then  perceives  the  necessity 
of  returning  to  the  ground,  to  get  to  some  other  part  of  the 
woods.  Some  species,  as  the  cat  squirrel,  fearing  to  take  the 
dreadful  leap  (often  nearly  a  hundred  feet),  rush  down  by  the 
trunk.  Not  so  the  more  active  squirrels,  as  the  common  grey- 
kind.  These  run  to  the  extremity  of  a  branch,  and  spring 
boldly  down  in  a  diagonal  direction.  The  hunter — if  a  stranger 
to  the  feat — would  expect  to  see  the  creature  crushed  or  crippled 
by  the  fall.  No  danger  of  that.  Even  the  watchful  dog  that 


160 

is  waiting  for  such  an  event,  and  standing  close  by  the  spot,  has 
not  time  to  spring  upon  it,  until  it  is  off  again  like  a  flying  bird, 
and,  almost  as  quick  as  sight  can  follow,  is  seen  ascending  some 
other  tree. 

There  is  an  explanation  required  about  this  precipitous  leap. 
The  squirrel  is  endowed  with  the  capability  of  spreading  out  its 
body  to  a  great  extent,  and  this  in  the  downward  rush  it  takes 
care  to  do — thus  breaking  its  fall  by  the  resistance  of  the  air. 
This  alone  accounts  for  its  not  killing  itself. 

Nearly  all  squirrels  possess  this  power,  but  in  different  degrees 
In  the  flying  squirrel  it  is  so  strongly  developed,  as  to  enable 
them  to  make  a  flight  resembling  that  of  the  birds  themselves. 

The  squirrel-hunter  is  often  accompanied  by  a  dog — not  that 
the  dog  ever  by  any  chance  catches  one  of  these  creatures.  Of 
him  the  squirrel  has  but  little  fear,  well  knowing  that  he  cannot 
climb  a  tree.  The  office  of  the  dog  is  of  a  different  kind.  It  is 
to  "  tree"  the  squirrel,  and,  by  remaining  at  the  root,  point  out 
the  particular  tree  to  his  master. 

The  advantage  of  the  dog  is  obvious.  In  fact,  he  is  almost  as 
necessary  as  the  pointer  to  the  sportsman.  First,  by  ranging 
widely,  he  beats  a  greater  breadth  of  the  forest.  Secondly,  when 
a  squirrel  is  seen  by  him,  his  swiftness  enables  him  to  hurry  it 
up  some  tree  not  its  own.  This  second  -advantage  is  of  the 
greatest  importance.  When  the  game  has  time  enough  allowed 
it,  it  either  makes  to  its  own  tree  (with  a  hole  in  it  of  course), 
or  selects  one  of  the  tallest  near  the  spot.  In  the  former  case  it 
is  impossible,  and  in  the  latter  difficult,  to  have  a  fair  shot  at  it. 

If  there  be  no  dog,  and  the  hunter  trusts  to  his  own  eyes,  he 
is  often  unable  to  find  the  exact  tree  which  the  squirrel  has 
climbed,  and  of  course  loses  it. 

A  good  squirrel-dog  is  a  useful  animal.  The  breed  is  not 
important.  The  best  are  usually  half-bred  pointers.  They 
should  have  good  sight  as  well  as  scent  ;  should  range  v  idely 
and  run  fast.  When  well  trained  they  will  not  take  aft»  '  rab 


SQUIRREL    SHOOTING.  16t 

bits,  or  any  other  game.  They  will  bark  only  when  a  squirrel  is 
treed,  and  remain  staunchly  by  the  root  of  the  tree.  The  bark 
ing  is  necessary,  otherwise  the  hunter,  often  separated  from  thorn 
by  the  underwood,  would  not  know  when  they  had  succeeded  in 
"  treeing." 

The  squirrel  seems  to  have  little  fear  of  the  dog,  and  rarely 
ascends  to  a  great  height.  It  is  often  seen  only  a  few  feet  above 
him,  jerking  its  tail  about,  and  apparently  mocking  its  savage 
enemy  below. 

The  coining  up  of  the  hunter  changes  the  scene.  The  squirrel 
then  takes  the  alarm,  and  shooting  up,  conceals  itself  among  the 
higher  branches. 

Taking  it  all  in  all,  we  know  none  of  the  smaller  class  of  field 
sports  that  requires  greater  skill,  and  yields  more  real  amuse 
ment,  than  hunting  the  squirrel. 

Our  Kentuckiaii  comrade  gave  us  an  account  of  a  grand 
squirrel-hunt  got  up  by  himself  and  some  neighbours,  which  is 
not  an  uncommon  sort  of  a  thing  in  the  Western  States.  The 
hunters  divided  themselves  into  two  parties  of  equal  numbers, 
each  taking  its  own  direction  through  the  woods.  A  large 
wager  was  laid  upon  the  result,  to  be  won  by  the  party  that 
could  bring  in  the  greatest  number  of  squirrels.  There  were  six 
guns  on  each  side,  and  the  numbers  obtained  at  the  end  of  a 
week — for  the  hunt  lasted  so  long — were  respectively  5000, 
and  4780  !  Of  course  the  sport  came  off  in  a  tract  of  country 
where  squirrels  were  but  little  hunted,  and  were  both  tame  and 
plenty. 

Such  hunts  upon  a  grand  scale  are,  as  already  stated,  not 
uncommon  in  some  parts  of  the  United  States.  They « have 
another  object  besides  the  sport — that  of  thinning  off  the 
squirrels  for  the  protection  of  the  planter's  corn-field.  So  des 
tructive  are  these  little  animals  to  the  corn  and  other  grains, 
that  in  some  States  there  has  been  at  times  a  bounty  granted  for 
killing  them.  In  early  times  such  a  law  existed  in  Pennsylvania, 


lf>8  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

and  there  is  a  registry  that  in  one  year  the  sum  of  8000/.  was 
pain  out  of  the  treasury  of  this  bounty-money,  which  at  three 
pence  a  head — the  premium — would  make  640,000,  the  number 
of  the  squirrels  killed  in  that  year  ! 

The  "migration  of  the  squirrel's"  is  still  an  unexplained  fact. 
It  is  among  the  grey  squirrels  it  takes  place  ;  hence  the  name 
given  to  that  species,  Sciurus  migratorius.  There  is  no  regula 
rity  about  these  migrations,  and  their  motive  is  not  known. 
Immense  bands  of  squirrels  are  observed  in  a  particular  neigh 
bourhood,  proceeding  through  the  woods  or  -across -tracts  of  open 
ground,,  all  in  one  direction.  Nothing  stays  their  course.  Nar 
row  streams  and  broad  rivers  are  crossed  by  them  by  swimming, 
and  many  are  drowned  in  the  attempt. 

Under  ordinary  circumstances,  these  little  creatures  are  as 
much  afraid  of  water  as  cats,  yet  when  moving  along  their  track 
of  migration  they  plunge  boldly  into  a  river,  without  calculating 
whether  they  will  ever  reach  the  other  side.  When  found  upon 
the  opposite  bank,  they  are  often  so  tired  with  the  effort,  that 
one  may  overtake  them  with  a  stick  ;  and  thousands  are  killed 
in  this  way  when  a  migration  has  been  discovered. 

It  is  stated  that  they  roll  pieces  of  dry  wood,  or  bark,  into 
the  water,  and,  seating  themselves  on  these,  are  wafted  across, 
their  tails  supplying  them  with  a  sail  :  of  course  this  account 
must  be  held  as  apocryphal. 

But  the  question  is,  what  motive  impels  them  to  undertake 
these  long  and  perilous  wanderings,  from  which  it  is  thought 
they  never  return  to  their  original  place  of  abode  ?  It  cannot 
be  the  search  of  food,  nor  the  desire  to  change  from  a  colder  to 
a  warmer  climate.  The  direction  of  the  wanderings  forbids  us 
to  receive  either  of  these  as  the  correct  reason.  No  light  has 
been  yet  thrown  upon  this  curious  habit.  It  would  seem  as  if 
some  strange  instinct  propelled  them,  but  for  what  purpose,  and 
to  what  end,  no  one  can  tell 


\ 

TREEING   A    BEAR.  169 


CH  A  PTER    XX. 

TREEING      A      BEAR. 

THE  doctor  was  the  only  one  -not  taking  part  in  the  conversa 
tion.  Even  the  rude  guides  listened.  All  that  related  to  game 
interested  them,  even  the  scientific  details  given  by  the  hunter- 
naturalist.  The  doctor  had  ridden  on  in  front  of  us.  Some  one 
remarked  that  he  wanted  water  to  mix  with  the  contents  of  his 
flask,  and  was  therefore  searching  for  a  stream.  Be  this  as  it 
may,  he  was  seen  suddenly  to  jerk  his  spare  horse  about,  and 
spur  back  to  us,  his  countenance  exhibiting  symptoms  of  surprise 
and  alarm. 

"  What  is  it,  doctor  T'  inquired  one. 

"  He  has  seen  Indians,"  remarked  another. 

"A  bear — a  bear!"  cried  the  doctor,  panting  for  breath ; 
"a  grizzly  bear  !  a  terrible-looking  creature,  I  assure  you." 

41  A  bar  I  d'  you  say  ?"  demanded  Ike,  shooting  forward  on 
his  old  mare. 

"A  bar  !"  cried  Redwood,  breaking  through  the  bushes  in 
pursuit. 

"  A  bear  ?"  shouted  the  others,  all  putting  spurs  to  their 
horses,  and  gallopping  forward  in  a  body. 

"  Where,  doctor  ?     Where  ?"  cried  several. 

"Yonder,"  replied  the  doctor,  "just  by  that  great  tree.  I 
saw  him  go  in  there — a  grizzly,  I'm  sure." 

It  was  this  idea  that  had  put  the  doctor  in  such  affright,  and 
caused  him  to  ride  back  so  suddenly. 

"Nonsense,  doctor,"  said  the  naturalist,  "we  are  yet  far  to 
the  east  of  the  range  of  the  grizzly  bear.  It  was  a  black  bear 
you  saw." 

8 


170  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  As  I  live,"  replied  the  doctor,  "it  was  not  black,  anything 
but  that.  I  should  know  the  black  bear.  It  was  a  light  brown 
colour — almost  yellowish." 

"  Oh  !  that's  no  criterion.  The  black  bear  is  found  with 
many  varieties  of  colour.  I  have  seen  them  of  the  colour  you 
describe.  It  must  be  one  of  them.  The  grizzly  is  not  found  so 
far  to  the  eastward,  although  it  is  possible  we  may  see  them 
soon  ;  but  not  in  woods  like  these." 

There  was  no  time  for  farther  explanation.  We  had  come  up 
to  the  spot  where  the  bear  had  been  seen  ;  and  although  an 
unpractised  eye  could  have  detected  no  trace  of  the  animal's 
presence,  old  Ike,  Redwood,  and  the  hunter-naturalist  could 
follow  its  trail  over  the  bed  of  fallen  leaves,  almost  as  fast  as 
they  could  walk.  Both  the  guides  had  dismounted,  and  with 
their  bodies  slightly  bent,  and  leading  their  horses  after  them, 
•commenced  tracking  the  bear.  From  Ike's  manner  one  would 
have  fancied  that  he  was  guided  by  scent  rather  than  by 
sight. 

The  trail  led  us  from  our  path,  and  we  had  followed  it  some 
hundred  yards  into  the  woods.  Most  of  us  were  of  the  opinion 
that  the  creature  had  never  halted  after  seeing  the  doctor,  but 
had  run  off  to  a  great  distance.  If  left  to  ourselves  we  should 
have  given  over  the  chase. 

The  trappers,  however,  knew  what  they  were  about.  They 
asserted  that  the  bear  had  gone  away  slowly — that  it  had  made 
frequent  halts — that  they  discovered  "  sign  "  to  lead  them  to  the 
conclusion  that  the  animal's  haunt  was  in  the  neighbourhood — 
that  its  "nest"  was  near.  We  were,  therefore,  encouraged  to 
proceed. 

All  of  us  rode  after  the  trackers.  Jake  and  Lanty  had  been 
left  with  the  waggon,  with  directions  to  keep  on  their  route. 
After  awhile  we  heard  the  waggon  moving  along  directly  in 
front  of  us.  The  road  had  angled  as  well  as  the  bear's  trail, 
and  the  two  were  again  converging. 


TREEING    A   BEAR.  171 

Just  at  that  moment  a  loud  shouting  came  from  the  direction 
of  the  waggon.  It  was  Lanty's  voice,  and  Jake's  too. 

"  Och  !  be  the  Yargin  mother  !  luck  there  !  Awch,  mother 
o'Moses,  Jake,  such  a  baste  !" 

"  Golly,  Massa  Lanty,  it  am  a  bar  !" 

We  all  heard  this  at  once.  Of  course  we  thought  of  the  trail 
no  longer,  but  made  a  rush  in  the  direction  of  the  voices,  causing 
the  branches  to  fly  on  every  side. 

"  Whar's  the  bar  ?"  cried  Redwood,  who  was  first  up  to  the 
waggon,  "  whar  did  you  see't  ?" 

"  Yander  he  goes  !"  cried  Lanty,  pointing  to  a  piece  of  heavy 
timber,  beset  with  an  undergrowth  of  cane,  but  standing  almost 
isolated  from  the  rest  of  the  forest  on  account  of  the  thin  open 
woods  that  were  around  it. 

We  were  too  late  to  catch  a  glimpse  of  him,  but  perhaps  he 
would  halt  in  the  undergrowth.  If  so  we  had  a  chance. 

"  Surround,  boys,  surround  1"  cried  the  Kentuckian,  who 
understood  bear-hunting  as  well  as  any  of  the  party.  "  Quick, 
round  and  head  him  ;"  and,  at  the  same  time,  the  speaker  urged 
his  great  horse  into  a  gallop.  Several  others  rode  off  on  the 
opposite  side,  and  in  a  few  seconds  we  had  surrounded  the  cane 
brake. 

"  Is  he  in  it  ?"  cried  one. 

"  Do  you  track  ?im  thur,  Mark  ?"  cried  Ike,  to  his  comrade 
from  the  opposite  side.  , 

"  No,"  was  the  reply,  "  he  haint  gone  out  this  away." 

"  Nor  hyur,"  responded  Ike. 

"  Nor  here,"  said  the  Kentuckian. 

"  Nor  by  here,"  added  the  hunter-naturalist. 

"  Belike,  then,  he's  still  in  the  timmer,"  said  Redwood.  "  Now 
look  out  all  of  yees.  Keep  your  eyes  skinned,  I'll  hustle  him 
out  o'  thar." 

"Hold  on,  Mark,  boy,"  cried  Ike,  "hold  on  thur.     D n 

the  varmint !  hyur's  his  track,  paddled  like  a  sheep  pen.     Wagh, 
his  den's  hyur — let  me  rout  'im." 


172  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"Very  wal,  then,"  replied  the  other,  "go  ahead,  old  fellow — 
I'll  look  to  my  side — thu'll  no  bar  pass  me  'ithout  getting  a  pill 
in  his  guts.  Out  wi'  'im  I" 

We  all  sat  in  our  saddles  silent  and  watchful.  Ike  had 
entered  the  cane,  but  not  a  rustle  was  heard.  A  snake  could 
not  have  passed  through  it  with  less  noise  than  did  the  old 
trapper. 

It  was  full  ten  minutes  before  the  slightest  sound  warned  of 
what  he  was  about.  Then  his  voice  reached  us. 

"  This  way,  all  of  you  !     The  bar's  treed." 

The  announcement  filled  all  of  us  with  pleasant  anticipations. 
The  sport  of  killing  a  bear  is  no  every-day  amusement,  and  now 
that  the  animal  was  "  treed  "  we  were  sure  of  him.  Some  dis 
mounted  and  hitched  their  horses  to  the  branches  ;  others  boldly 
dashed  into  the  cane,  hurrying  to  the  spot,  with  the  hope  of 
having  first  shot. 

Why  was  Ike's  rifle  not  heard  if  he  saw  the  bear  treed  ? 
This  puzzled  some.  It  was  explained  when  we  got  up.  Ike's 
words  were  figurative.  The  bear  had  not  taken  shelter  in  a 
tree,  but  a  hollow  log,  and,  of  course,  Ike  had  not  yet  set  eyes 
on  him.  But  there  was  the  log,  a  huge  one,  some  ten  or  more 
feet  in  thickness,  and  there  was  the  hole,  with  the  well-beaten 
track  leading  into  it.  It  was  his  den.  He  was  there  to  a 
certainty. 

How  to  get  him  out  ?     That  was  the  next  question. 

Several  took  their  stations,  guns  in  hand,  commanding  the 
entrance  to  the  hollow.  One  went  back  upon  the  log,  and 
pounded  it  with  the  butt  of  his  gun.  To  no  purpose.  Bruin 
was  not  such  a  fool  as  to  walk  out  and  be  peppered  with 
bullets. 

A  long  pole  was  next  thrust  up  the  hollow.  Nothing  could 
be  felt.  The  den  was  beyond  reach. 

Smoking  was  next  tried,  but  with  like  success.  The  bear 
gave  no  sign  of  being  annoyed  with  it.  The  axes  were  now 
brought  from  the  waggon.  It  would  be  a'  tough  job — for  the 


TREEING   A    BEAR.  173 

log  (a  sycamore)  was  sound  enough  except  near  the  heart. 
There  was  no  help  for  it,  and  Jake  and  Lanty  went  to  work  as 
if  for  a  day's  rail  splitting. 

Redwood  and  the  Kentuckian,  both  good  axemen,  relieved 
them,  and  a  deep  notch  soon  began  to  make  its  appearance  on 
'each  side  of  the  log.  The  rest  of  us  kept  watch  near  the 
entrance,  hoping  the  sound  of  the  axe  might  drive  out  the 
game.  We  were  disappointed  in  that  hope,  and  for  full  two 
hours  the  chopping  continued,  until  the  patience  and  the  arms 
of  those  that  plied  the  axe  were  nearly  tired  out. 

It  is  no  trifling  matter  to  lay  open  a  tree  ten  feet  in  diameter. 
They  had  chosen  the  place  for  their  work  guided  by  the  long  pole. 
It  could  not  be  beyond  the  den,  and  if  upon  the  near  side  of  it, 
the  pole  would  then  be  long  enough  to  reach  the  bear,  and 
either  destroy  him  with  a  knife  blade  attached  to  it,  or  force 
him  out.  This  was  our  plan,  and  therefore  we  were  encouraged 
to  proceed. 

At  length  the  axes  broke  through  the  wood  and  the  dark  inte 
rior  lay  open.  They  had  cut  in  the  right  place,  for  the  den  of 
the  bear  was  found  directly  under,  but  no  bear  !  Poles  were 
inserted  at  both  openings,  but  no  bear  could  be  felt  either  way. 

The  hollow  ran  up  no  further,  so  after  all  there  was  no  bear 
in  the  log. 

There  were  some  disappointed  faces  about — and  some  rather 
rough  ejaculations  were  heard.  I  might  say  that  Ike  "  cussed  a 
few,"  and  that  would  be  no  more  than  the  truth.  The  old  trapper 
seemed  to  be  ashamed  of  being  so  taken  in,  particularly  as  he 
had  somewhat  exultingly  announced  that  the  "  bear  was  treed." 

"  He  must  have  got  off  before  we  surrounded,"  said  one. 

"  Are  you  sure  he  came  into  the  timber  ?"  asked  another — 
"  that  fool,  Lanty,  was  so  scared,  he  could  hardly  tell  where  the 
animal  went." 

"  Be  me  soul  I  gentlemen,  I  saw  him  go  in  wid  my  own  eyes, 
Oil  swear " 


174  THE    HUNTERS'    FEAST. 

"  Cussed  queer  !"  spitefully  remarked  Redwood. 

"  D d  the  bar  ?"  ejaculated  Ike,  "  whur  kid  the  varmint 

a  gone  ?" 

Where  was  A ?  All  eyes  were  turned  to  look  for  the 

hunter-naturalist,  as  if  he  could  clear  up  the  mystery.  He  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  He  had  not  been  seen  for  some  time  ! 

At  that  moment,  the  clear  sharp  ring  of  a  rifle  echoed  in  our 
ears.  There  was  a  moment's  silence,  and  the  next  moment  a 
loud  "  thump "  was  heard,  as  of  a  heavy  body  falling  from  a 
great  height  to  the  ground.  The  noise  startled  even  our  tired 
horses,  and  some  of  them  broke  their  ties  and  scampered  off. 

"This  way,  gentlemen,"  said  a  quiet  voice,  "here's  the  bear  1" 

The  voice  was  A 's ;  and  we  all,  without  thinking  of  the 

horses,  hurried  up  to  the  spot.  Sure  enough,  there  lay  the  great 
brute,  a  red  stream  oozing  out  of  a  bullet  hole  in  his  ribs. 

A pointed  to  a  tree — a  huge  oak  that  spread  out  above 

our  heads. 

"  There  he  was,  on  yonder  fork,"  said  he.  "  We  might  have 
saved  ourselves  a  good  deal  of  trouble  had  we  been  more 
thoughtful.  I  suspected  he  was  not  in  the  log  when  the  smoke 
failed  to  move  him.  The  brute  was  too  sagacious  to  hide  there. 
It  is  not  the  first  time  I  have  known  the  hunter  foiled  by  such  a 
trick." 

The  eyes  of  Redwood  were  turned  admiringly  on  the  speaker, 
and  even  old  Ike  could  not  help  acknowledging  his  superior 
hunter-craft. 

"  Mister,"  he  muttered,  "  I  guess  you'd  make  a  darned  fust- 
rate  mountain-man.  He's  a  gone  Injun  when  you  look  through 
Bights." 

All  were  examining  the  huge  carcass  of  the  bear — one  of  the 
largest  size. 

"  You'r  sure  it's  no  grizzly  ?"  inquired  the  doctor. 

"  No,  doctor,"  replied  the  naturalist,  "  the  grizzly  never  climbs 
a  tree." 


A pointed  to  a  tree — a  huge  oak  that  spread  out  above  our  head?.     "  There 

he  was,  on  yonder  fork,'  said  he.  "  We  might  have  saved  ourselves  a  good  deal 
of  trouble  had  we  been  more  thoughtful.  I  suspected  he  was  not  in  the  log  when 
the  smoke  failed  to  move  him.  The  brute  was  too  sagacious  to  hide  there.  It 
it  not  the  first  time  I  have  known  the  hunter  foiled  by  such  a  trick.  p.  174. 


THE  BLACK  BEAR  OP  AMERICA.  115 


CHAPTER    XXI, 

THE    BLACK    BEAR    OF   AMERICA. 

AFTER  some  time  spent  in  recovering  the  horses,  we  lifted  the 
bear  into  Jake's,  waggon,  and  proceeded  on  our  journey.  It  was 
near  evening,  however,  and  we  soon  after  halted  and  formed 
camp.  The  bear  was  skinned  in  a  trice,  — Ike  and  Redwood  per- 
formiug  this  operation  with  the  dexteri  y  of  a  pair  of  butchers  ; 
of  course  "bear-meat"  was  the  principle  dish  for  supper  ;  and 
although  some  may  think  this  rather  a  savage  feast,  I  envy  those 
who  are  in  the  way  of  a  bear-ham  now. 

Of  course  for  that  evening  nothing  was  talked  of  but  Bruin, 
and  a  good  many  anecdotes  were  related  of  the  beast.  With 
the  exception  of  the  doctor,  Jake  and  Lanty,  all  of  us  had  some 
thing  to  say  upon  that  subject,  for  all  the  rest  had  had  more  or 
less  practice  in  bear-hunting. 

The  black  or  "American  bear"  (Ursus  Americanus)  is  one 
of  the  best  known  of  his  tribe.  It  is  he  that  is  oftenest  seen  in 
menageries  and  zoological  gardens,  for  the  reason,  perhaps,  that 
he  is  found  in  great  plenty  in  a  country  of  large  commercial 
intercourse  with  other  nations.  Hence  he  is  more  frequently  cap 
tured  and  exported  to  all  parts. 

Any  one  at  a  glance  may  distinguish  him  from  the  "  brown 
bear  "  of  Europe,  as  well  as  the  other  bears  of  the  Eastern  con 
tinent — not  so  much  by  his  colour  (for  he  is  brown  too),  as  by 
his  form  and  the  regularity  and  smoothness  of  his  coat.  He 
may  be  as  easily  distinguished,  too,  from  his  congeners  of  North 
America — of  which  there  are  three — the  grizzly  (  U.  ferox)  the 
brown  (arctusl),  and  the  "polar"  (U.  maritimus).  The  hair 
upon  other  large  bears  (the  polar  excepted)  is  what  may  be 


176  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

termed  "  tufty,"  and  their  forms  are  different,  being  generally 
more  uncouth  and  "  chunkier."  The  black  bear  is,  in  fact, 
nearer  to  the  polar  in  shape,  as  well  as  in  the  arrangement  of 
his  fur, — than  to  any  other  of  the  tribe.  He  is  much  smaller, 
however,  rarely  exceeding  two-thirds  the  weight  of  large  speci 
mens  of  the  latter. 

His  colour  is  usually  a  deep  black  all  over  the  body,  with  a 
patch  of  rich  yellowish  red  upon  the  muzzle,  where  the  hair  is 
short  and  smooth.  This  ornamental  patch  is  sometimes  absent, 
and  varieties  of  the  black  bear  are  seen  of  different  colours. 
Brown  ones  are  commo  \  in  some  parts,  and  others  of  a  cinna 
mon  colour,  and  still  otl  ers  with  white  markings,  but  these  last 
are  rare.  They  are  all  of  one  species,  however,  the  assertion  of 
some  naturalists  to  the  contrary  notwithstanding.  The  proof  is, 
that  the  black  varieties  have  been  seen  followed  by  coloured 
cubs,  and  vice  versa. 

The  black  bear  is  omnivorous — feeds  upon  flesh  as  well  as  fruit, 
nuts,  and  edible  roots.  Habitually  his  diet  is  not  carnivo 
rous,  but  he  will  eat  at  times  either  carrion  or  living  flesh.  We 
say  living  flesh,  for  on  capturing  prey  he  does  not  wait  to  kill  it, 
as  most  carnivorous  animals,  but  tears  and  destroys  it  while  still 
screaming.  He  may  be  said  to  swallow  some  of  his  food  alive  ! 

Of  honey  he  is  especially  fond,  and  robs  the  bee-hive  whenever 
it  is  accessible  to  him.  It  is  not  safe  from  him  even  in  the  top  of 
a  tree,  provided  the  entrance  to  it  is  large  enough  to  admit  his 
body  ;  and  when  it  is  not,  he  often  contrives  to  make  it  so  by 
means  of  his  sharp  claws.  He  has  but  little  fear  of  the  stings 
of  the  angry  bees.  His  shaggy  coat  and  thick  hide  afford  him 
ample  protection  against  such  puny  weapons.  It  is  supposed 
that  he  spends  a  good  deal  of  his  time  ranging  the  forest  in 
search  of  "  bee  trees." 

Qf  course  he  is  a  tree- climber — climbs  by  the  "  hug,"  not  by 
means  of  his  claws,  as  do  animals  of  the  cat  kind  ;  and  in  get 
ting  to  the  ground  again  descends  the  trunk,  stern  foremost,  as 


THE    BLACK    BEAR    OF   AMERICA.  I 

a  hod-carrier   would   come   down  a  ladder.     In  this  he  again 
differs  from  the  felida. 

The  range  of  the  black  bear  is  extensive — in  fact  it  may  be 
said  to  be  colimital  with  the  forest,  both  in  North  and  South 
America — though  in  the  latter  division  of  the  continent,  another 
species  of  large  black,  bear  exists,  the  Ursus  ornatus.  In  the  * 
northern  continent  the  American  bear  is  found  in  all  the  wooded 
parts  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  but  not  in  the  open  and 
prairie  districts.  There  the  grizzly  holds  dominion,  though  both 
of  them  range  together  in  the  wooded  valleys  of  the  Rocky 
Mountains.  The  grizzly,  on  the  other  hand,  is  only  met  with 
west  of  the  Mississippi,  and  affects  the  dry  desert  countries  of 
the  uninhabited  West.  The  brown  bear,  supposed  to  be  identi 
cal  with  the  Ursus  arctus  of  North  Europe,  is  only  met  with  in 
the  wild  and  treeless  tract  known  as  "  Barren  grounds,"  which 
stretch  across  nearly  the  whole  northern  part  of  the  continent 
from  the  last  timber  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea,  and  in  this 
region  the  black  bear  is  not  found.  The  zone  of  the  polar  bear 
joins  with  that  of  the  brown,  and  the  range  of  the  former 
extends  perhaps  to  the  pole  itself. 

At  the  time  of  the  colonisation  >f  America,  the  area  of  the 
present  United  Sates  was  the  favou  'te  home  of  the  black  bear. 
It  was  a  country  entirely  covered  with  thick  forests,  and  of 
course  a  suitable  habitat  for  him.  Even  to  this  day  a  consider 
able  number  of  bears  is  to  be  found  within  the  limits  of  the 
settlements.  Scarcely  a  State  in  which  some  wild  woodlands  or 
mountain  fastnesses  do  not  afford  shelter  to  a  number  of  bears, 
and  to  kill  one  of  them  is  a  grand  object  of  the  hunter's  ambi 
tion.  Along  the  whole  range  of  the  Alleghanies  black  bears  are 
yet  found,  and  it  will  be  long  ere  they  are  finally  extirpated 
from,  such  haunts.  In  the  Western  States  they  are  still  more 
common,  where  they  inhabit  the  gloomy  forests  along  the  rivers, 
and  creek  bottoms,  protected  alike  by  the  thick  undergrowth 
and  the  swampy  nature  of  the  soil. 

8* 


178 

Their  den  is  usually  in  a  hollow  tree — sometimes  a  prostrate 
log  if  the  latter  be  large  enough,  and  in  such  a  position  as  is  not 
likely  to  be  observed  by  the  passing  hunter.  A  cave  in  the 
rocks  is  also  their  favourite  lair,  when  the  geological  structure 
of  the  country  offers  them  so  secure  a  retreat.  They  are  safer 
thus  :  for  when  a  bear-tree  or  log  has  been  discovered  by  either 
hunter  or  farmer  the  bear  has  not  much  chance  of  escape.  The 
squirrel  is  safe  enough,  as  his  capture  will  not  repay  the  trouble 
of  felling  the  tree  ;  but  such  noble  game  as  a  bear  will  repay 
whole  hours  of  hard  work  with  the  axe. 

The  black  bear  lies  torpid  during  several  months  of  the  win 
ter.  The  time  of  his  hyberaation  depends  upon  the  latitude  of 
the  place  and  the  coldness  of  the  climate.  As  you  approach 
the  south  this  period  becomes  shorter  and  shorter,  until  in  the 
tropical  forests,  where  frost  is  unknown,  the  black  bear  ranges 
throughout  the  year. 

The  mode  of  hunting  the  black  bear  does  not  differ  from  that 
practised  with  the  fox  or  wild  cat.  He  is  usually  chased  by 
dogs,  and  forced  into  his  cave  or  a  tree.  If  the  former,  he  is 
shot  down,  or  the  tree,  if  hollow,  is  felled.  Sometimes  smoking 
brings  him  out.  If  he  escapes  to  a  cave,  smoking  is  also  tried  ; 
but  if  that  will  not  succeed  in  dislodging  him,  he  must  be  left 
alone,  as  no  dogs  will  venture  to  attack  him  there. 

The  hunter  often  tracks  and  kills  him  in  the  woods  with  a 
bullet  from  his  rifle.  He  will  not  turn  upon  man  unless  when 
wounded  or  brought  to  bay.  Then  his  assault  is  to  be  dreaded. 
Should  he  grasp  the  hunter  between  his  great  forearms,  the 
latter  will  stand  a  fair  chance  of  being  hugged  to  death.  He 
does  not  attempt  to  use  his  teeth  like  the  grizzly  bear,  but  relies 
upon  the  muscular  power  of  his  arms,  The  nose  appears  to  be 
his  tenderest  part,  and  his  antagonist,  if  an  old  bear-hunter,  and 
sufficiently  cool,  will  use  every  effort  to  strike  him  there.  A 
blow  upon  the  snout  has  often  caused  the  black  bear  to  let  go 
his  hold,  and  retreat  terrified  ! 


THE  TRAPPER  TRAPPED.  179 

The  log  trap  is  sometimes  tried  with  success.  This  is  con 
structed  in  such  a  way  that  the  removal  of  the  bait  operates 
upon  a  trigger,  and  a  large  heavy  log  comes  down  on  the 
animal  removing  it — either  crushing  it  to  death  or  holding  it 
fast  by  pressure.  A  limb  is  sometimes  only  caught  j  but  this 
proves  sufficient. 

The  same  kind  of  trap  is  used  throughout  the  northern 
regions  of  America  by  the  fur  trappers — particularly  the  sable 
hunters  and  trappers  of  the  white  weasel  (Mustda  erminea). 
Of  course  that  for  the  bear  is  constructed  of  the  heaviest  logs, 
and  is  of  large  dimensions. 

Redwood  related  an  adventure  that  had  befallen  him  while 
trapping  the  black  bear  at  an  earlier  period  of  his  life.  It  had 
nearly  cost  him  his  life  too,  and  a  slight  halt  in  his  gait  could 
still  be  observed,  resulting  from  that  very  adventure. 

We  all  collected  around  the  blazing  logs  to  listen  to  the  trap 
per's  story. 


CHAPTER    XXII. 

THE   TRAPPER   TRAPPED. 

"WELL,  then,"  began  Redwood,  "  the  thing  I'm  agoin'  to  tell 
you  about,  happened  to  me  when  I  war  a  younker,  long  afore  I 
ever  thought  I  was  a  coming  out  hyar  upon  the  parairas.  I 
wan't  quite  growed  at  the  time,  though  I  was  a  good  chunk  for 
my  age. 

"  It  war  up  thar  among  the  mountains  in  East  Tennessee, 
whar  this  child  war  raised,  upon  the  head  waters  of  the  Ten 
nessee  River. 

"  I  war  fond  o'  huntin'  from  the  time  that  I  war  knee  high  to 
a  duck,  an'  I  can  jest  remember  killin'  a  black  bar  afore  I  war 


180 

twelve  yeer  old.  As  I  growed  up,  the  bar  had  become  scacer 
in  them  parts,  and  it  wan't  every  day  you  could  scare  up  such  a 
Yarmint,  but  now  and  then  one  ud  turn  up. 

"  Well,  one  day  as  I  war  poking  about  the  crik  bottom  (for 
the  shanty  war  my  ole  mother  lived  war  not  on  the  Tennessee, 
but  on  a  crik  that  runs  into  it),  I  diskivered  bar  sign.  There 
war  tracks  o'  the  bar's  paws  in  the  mud,  an'  I  follered  them 
along  the  water  edge  for  nearly  a  mile — then  the  trail  turned 
into  about  as  thickety  a  bottom  as  I  ever  seed  anywhar.  It 
would  a  baffled  a  cat  to  crawl  through  it. 

"  After  the  trail  went  out  from  the  crik  and  towards  the  edge 
o'  this  thicket,  I  lost  all  hopes  of  follerin'  it  further,  as  the 
ground  was  hard,  and  covered  with  donicks,  and  I  couldn't  make 
the  tracks  out  no  how.  I  had  myidea  that  the  bar  had  tuk  the 
thicket,  so  I  went  round  the  edge  of  it  to  see  if  I  could  find 
whar  he  had  entered. 

"  For  a  long  time  I  couldn't  see  a  spot  whar  any  critter  as 
big  as  a  bar  could  a  got  in  without  makin'  some  sort  o'  a  hole, 
and  then  I  begun  to  think  the  bar  had  gone  some  other  way, 
either  across  the  crik  or  further  down  it. 

"  I  war  a  goin'  to  turn  back  to  the  water,  when  I  spied  a  big 
log  lyin'  half  out  o'  the  thicket,  with  one  eend  buried  in  the 
bushes.  I  noticed  that  the  top  of  this  log  had  a  dirty  look,  as 
if  some  animal  had  tramped  about  on  it ;  an'  on  goin'  up  and 
squintin'  at  it  a  little  closter,  I  seed  that  that  guess  war  the 
right  one. 

"  1  clomb  the  log,  for  it  war  a  regular  rouster,  bigger  tha 
that  'n  we  had  so  much  useless  trouble  with,  and  then  I  scram- 
melled  along  the  top  o'  it  in  the  direction  of  the  brush.  Thar  I 
seed  the  very  hole  whar  the  bar  had  got  into  the  thicket,  and 
thar  war  a  regular  beaten  path  runnin'  through  the  brake  as  fai 
as  I  could  see. 

"  I  jumped  off  o'  the  log  and  squeezed  myself  through  the 
bramble.     It  war  a  trail  easy  enough  to  find,  but  mighty  hard 


THE  TRAPPER  TEAPPED.  181 

to  foller,  I  can  tell  ye.  Thar  war  thistles,  and  cussed  stingin' 
nettles,  and  briars  as  thick  as  my  wrist,  with  claws  upon  them 
as  sharp  as  fish-hooks.  I  pushed  on,  howsomever,  feelin'  quite 
sartin  that  such  a  well-used  track  must  lead  to  the  bar's  den, 
an'  I  war  safe  enough  to  find  it.  In  coorse  I  reckoned  that  the 
critter  had  his  nest  in  some  holler  tree,  and  I  could  go  home  for 
my  axe,  and  come  back  the  next  morning — if  smoking  failed  to 
git  him  out. 

"  Well,  I  poked  on  through  the  thicket  a  good  three  hundred 
yards,  sometimes  crouching,  and  sometimes  creeping  on  my 
hands  and  knees.  I  war  badly  scratched,  I  tell  you,  and  now 
and  then  I  jest  thought  to  myself,  what  would  be  the  consy- 
quince  if  the  bar  should  meet  me  in  that  narrow  passage.  We'd 
a  had  a  tough  tussle,  I  reckon — but  I  met  no  bar. 

"  At  last  the  brush  grew  thinner,  and  jest  as  I  was  in  hopes  I 
might  stumble  on  the  bar  tree,  what  shed  I  see  afore  me  but  the 
face  o'  a  rocky  bluff,  that  riz  a  consid'able  height  over  the  crik 
bottom.  I  begun  to  fear  that  the  varmint  had  a  cave,  and  so, 
cuss  him  !  he  had — a  great  black  gulley  in  the  rocks  was  right 
close  by,  and  thai*  was  his  den,  and  no  mistake.  I  could  easily 
tell  it  by  the  way  the  clay  and  stones  had  been  pattered  over  by 
his  paws. 

"  Of  coorse,  my  tracking  for  that  day  war  over,  and  I  stood 
by  the  mouth  of  the  cave  not  kiiowin'  what  to  do.  I  didn't  feel 
inclined  to  go  in. 

"  After  a  while  I  bethought  me  that  the  bar  moat  come  out, 
an'  I  laid  myself  squat  down  among  the  bushes  facing  the  cave. 
I  had  my  gun  ready  to  give  him  a  mouthful  of  lead,  as  soon  as 
he  should  show  his  snout  outside  o'  the  hole. 

"  'Tvvar  no  go.  I  guess  he  had  heeard  me  when  I  first  com  > 
up,  and  kuow'd  I  war  thar.  I  laid  still  until  'twar  so  dark  I 
thought  I  would  never  find  my  way  back  to  the  crik  ;  but,  after 
a  good  deal  of  scramblin'  and  creepin'  I  got  out  at  last,  and 
took  mv  way  home. 


182  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  It  warn't  likely  I  war  a  goin'  to  give  that  bar  up.  I  war 
bound  to  fetch  him  out  o'  his  boots  if  it  cost  me  a  week's  hunt 
ing  ;  so  I  returned  the  next  morning  to  the  place,  and  lay  all 
day  in  front  o'  the  cave.  No  bar  appeared,  an'  I  went  back 
home  a  cussin'. 

"Next  day  I  come  again,  but  this  time  I  didn't  intend  to 
stay.  I  had  fetched  my  axe  with  me,  wi'  the  intention  of  riggin' 
up  a  log  trap  near  the  mouth  o'  the  cave.  I  had  also  fetched  a 
jug  o'  molasses  and  some  yeers  o'  green  com  to  bait  the  trap, 
for  I  know'd  the  bar  war  fond  o'  both. 

"  Well,  I  got  upon  the  spot,  an'  makin'  as  leetle  rumpus  as 
possible,  I  went  to  work  to  build  my  trap.  I  found  some  logs 
on  the  ground  jest  the  scantlin',  and  in  less  than  an  hour  I  hed 
the  thing  rigged  an'  the  trigger  set.  'Twant  no  small  lift  to  get 
up  the  big  log,  but  I  managed  it  wi'  a  lever  I  had  made,  though 
it  took  every  pound  o'  strength  in  my  body.  If  it  come  down 
on  the  bar  I  knew  it  would  hold  him. 

"  Well,  I  had  all  ready  except  layin'  the  bait  ;  so  I  crawled 
in,  and  was  fixin'  the  green  yeers  and  the  'lasses,  when,  jest 
at  that  moment,  what  shed  I  hear  behind  me  but  the  'sniff'  o' 
the  bar  ! 

"  I  turned  suddently  to  see.  I  had  jest  got  my  eye  on  the 
critter  standin'  right  in  the  mouth  o'  his  cave,  when  I  feeled 
myself  struck  upon  the  buttocks,  and  flattened  down  to  the  airth 
like  a  pancake. 

"  At  the  first  stroke,  I  thought  somebody  had  hit  me  a  heavy 
blow  from  behind,  and  I  wish  it  had  been  that.  It  war  wusser 
than  that.  It  war  the  log  had  hit  me,  and  war  now  lying  with 
all  its  weight  right  acrosst  my  two  legs.  In  my  hurry  to  git 
round  I  had  sprung  the  trigger,  and  down  corned  the  infernal 
log  on  my  -hams. 

"At  fust  I  wan't  scared,  but  I  war  badly  hurt.  I  thought 
it  would  be  all  right  as  soon  as  I  had  crawled  out,  and  I  made 
an  attempt  to  do  so.  It  was  then  that  I  become  scared  in 


THE  TRAPPER  TRAPPED.  183 

airnest ;  for  I  found  that  I  couldn't  crawl  out.  My  legs  were 
held  in  such  a  way  that  I  couldn't  move  them,  and  the  more  1 
pulled  the  more  I  hurt  them.  They  were  in  pain  already  with 
the  heavy  weight  pressin'  upon  them,  and  I  couldn't  bear  to 
move  them.  No  more  could  I  turn  myself.  I  war  flat  on  my 
face,  and  couldn't  slew  myself  round  any  way,  so  as  to  get  my 
h?  nds  at  the  log.  I  war  fairly  catched  in  my  own  trap. 

"  It  war  jest  about  then  I  began  to  feel  scared.  Thar  wan't 
no  settlement  in  the  hul  crik  bottom  but  my  mother's  old 
shanty,  an'  that  were  two  miles  higher  up.  It  war  as  unlikely 
a  thing  as  could  happen  that  anybody  would  be  passing  that 
way  ;  and  unless  some  one  did,  I  saw  no  chance  of  gettin'  clar 
o'  the  scrape  I  war  in.  I  could  do  nothin'  for  myself. 

"  I  hollered  as  loud  as  I  could,  and  that  frightened  the  bar 
into  his  cave  again.  I  hollered  for  an  hour,  but  I  could  hear  no 
reply,  and  then  I  war  still  a-bit,  and  then  I  hollered  again,  an' 
kept  this  up  pretty  much  for  the  hul  o'  that  blessed  day. 

"  Thar  wan't  any  answer  but  the  echo  o'  my  own  shoutin',  and 
the  whoopin'  of  the  owls  that  flew  about  over  my  head,  and 
appeared  as  if  they  war  mockin'  me. 

"  I  had  no  behopes  of  any  relief  comin'  from  home.  My  ole 
mother  had  nobody  but  myself,  and  she  wan't  like  to  miss  me, 
as  I'd  often  stayed  out  a  huntin'  for  three  or  four  days  at  a  time. 
The  only  chance  I  had,  and  I  knew  it  too,  war  that  some  neigh 
bour  might  be  strayin'  down  the  crik,  and  you  may  guess  what 
sort  o'  chance  that  war,  when  I  tell  you  thar  wan't  a  neighbour 
livin'  within  less  than  five  mile  o'  us.  If  no  one  come  by  I  knew 
I  must  lay  there  till  I  died  o'  hunger  and  rotted,  or  the  bar  ate 
me  up. 

'•  Well,  night  come,  and  night  went.  7Twar  about  the  longest 
night  this  child  remembers.  I  lay  all  through  it,  a  sufferin'  the 
pain,  and  listening  to  the  screechin'  owls.  I  could  a  screeched 
as  loud  as  any  of  them  if  that  would  a-done  any  good.  I  heerd 


184  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

now  and  then  the  snuffin'  o'  the  bar,  and  I  could  see  thar  war 
two  o'  them.  I  could  see  thar  big  black  bodies  inovin'  about 
like  shadows,  and  they  appeared  to  be  gettin'  less  afeerd  o'  me, 
as  they  came  close  at  times,  and  risin'  up  on  their  hind  quarters 
stood  in  front  o'  me  like  a  couple  o'  black  devils. 

"  I  begun  to  get  afeerd  they  would  attack  me,  and  so  I  guess 
they  would  a-done,  had  not  a  circumstance  happened  that  put 
them  out  o'  the  notion. 

"  It  war  jest  grey  day,  when  one  o'  them  came  so  close  that 
I  expected  to  be  attacked  by  him.  Now  as  luck  would  have  it, 
my  rifle  happened  to  be  lyin'  on  the  ground  within  reach.  I 
grabbed  it  without  saying  a  word,  and  slewin'  up  one  shoulder 
as  high  as  I  could,  I  was  able  to  sight  the  bar  just  behind  the 
fore  leg.  The  brute  wan't  four  feet  from  the  muzzle,  and  slap 
into  him  went  wad  and  all,  and.  down  he  tumbled  like  a  felled 
ox.  I  seed  he  war  as  dead  as  a  buck. 

"  Well,  badly  as  I  war  fixed,  I  contrived  to  get  loaded  again, 
for  I  kuowed  that  bars  will  fight  for  each  other  to  the  death  ; 
and  I  thought  the  other  might  attack  me.  It  wan't  to  be  seen 
at  the  time,  but  shortly  after  it  come  upon  the  ground  from  the 
direction  of  the  crik. 

"  I  watched  it  closely  as  it  shambled  up,  having  my  rifle  ready 
all  the  while.  When  it  first  set  eyes  on  its  dead  comrade  it 
gave  a  loud  snort,  and  stopped.  It  appeared  to  be  considerably 
surprised.  It  only  halted  a  short  spell,  and  then,  with  a  loud 
roar,  it  run  up  to  the  carcass,  and  sniffed  at  it. 

"  I  haint  the  least  o'  a  doubt  that  in  two  seconds  more  it 
would  a-jumped  me,  but  I  war  too  quick  for  it,  and  sent  a 
bullet  right  plum  into  one  of  its  eyes,  that  come  out  again  near 
the  back  o'  its  neck.  That  did  the  business,  and  I  had  the 
satisfaction  to  see  it  cowollop  over  nearly  on  top  o'  the  other'n. 

"  Well,  I  killed  the  bars,  but  what  o'  that.  That  wouldn't 
get  me  from  under  the  log;  and  what  wi'  the  pain  I  was  suf- 


THE  TRAPPER  TRAPPED.  185 

erin',  and  the  poor  prospect  o'  beirr  relieved,  I  thought  I  inout 
as  well  have  let  them  eat  me. 

"  But  a  man  don't  die  so  long  as  he  can  help  it,  I  b'lieve,  and 
I  detarmined  to  live  it  out  while  I  could.  At  times  I  had  hopes 
and  shouted,  and  then  I  lost  hope  and  lay  still  again. 

"  I  grew  as  hungry  as  a  famished  wolf.  The  bars  were  lying 
right  before  me,  but  jest  beyond  reach,  as  if  to  tantylize  me. 
I  could  have  eat  a  collop  raw  if  I  could  have  a-got  hold  of  it, 
but  how  to  reach  it  war  the  difeeculty. 

"Needcesity  they  say  is  the  mother  o' invention  ;  and  I  set 
myself  to  invent  a  bit.  Thar  war  a  piece  o'  rope  I  had  brought 
along  to  help  me  wi'  the  trap,  and  that  I  got  my  claws  on. 

"I  made  a  noose  on  one  eeud  o' it,  and  after  about  a  score 
o'  trials  I  at  last  flung  the  noose  over  the  head  o'  one  o'  the 
bars,  and  drew  it  tight.  I  then  sot  to  work  to  pull  the  bar 
nearer.  If  that  bar's  neck  wan't  well  stretched  I  don't  know 
what  you'd  call  stretchiri',  for  I  tugged  at  it  about  an  hour  afore 
I  could  get  it  within  reach.  I  did  get  it  at  last,  and  then  with 
my  knife  I  cut  out  the  bar's  tongue,  and  ate  it  raw. 

"  I  had  satisfied  one  appetite,  but  another  as  bad,  if  not  wus- 
ser,  troubled  me.  That  war  thirst — my  throat  war  as  dry  as  a 
corn  cob,  and  whar  was  the  water  to  come  from.  It  grew  so 
bad  at  last  that  I  thought  I  would  die  of  it.  I  drawed  the  bar 
nearer  me,  and  cut  his  juglar  to  see  if  thar  war  any  relief  from 
that  quarter.  Thar  wan't.  The  blood  war  froze  up  thick  as 
liver.  Not  a  drop  would  run. 

"  I  lay  coolin'  my  tongue  on  the  blade  o'  my  knife  an'  chawin' 
a  bullet  that  I  had  taken  from  my  pouch.  I  managed  to  put 
in  the  hul  of  the  next  day  this  away,  now  and  then  shoutin'  as 
loud  as  I  could.  Towards  the  evemV  I  grew  hungry  again,  and 
ate  a  cut  out  o'  the  cheek  o'  the  bar  ;  but  I  thought  I  would 
a-choked  for  want  o'water. 

"  I  put  in  the  night  the  best  way  I  could.     I  had  the  owls 


186  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

again  for  company,  and  some  varmint  came  up  and  smelt  at  the 
bars  j  but  was  frightened  at  my  voice,  and  run  away  again.  I 
suppose  it  was  a  fox  or  wolf,  or  some  such  thing,  and  but  for  me 
would  a-made  a  meal  off  o'  the  bar's  carcass. 

"  I  won't  trouble  you  with  my  reflexshuns  all  that  night  ;  but 
I  can  assure  ye  they  war  anything  but  pleasant.  I  thought  of 
my  ole  mother,  who  had  nobody  but  me,  and  that  helped  to 
keep  up  my  spirits.  I  detarmined  to  cut  away  at  the  bar,  and 
hold  out  as  long  as  possible. 

"  As  soon  as  day  broke  I  set  up  my  shoutin'  again,  restin' 
every  fifteen  minutes  or  so,  and  then  takin'  a  fresh  start.  About 
an  hour  after  sun  up,  jest  as  I  had  finished  a  long  spell  o' 
screechin',  I  thought  I  heerd  a  voice.  I  listened  a  bit  with  my 
heart  thumpin'  against  my  ribs.  Thar  war  no  sound  ;  I  yelled 
louder  than  ever,  and  then  listened.  Thar  war  a  voice. 

"  '  D — n  ye  !  what  are  ye  hollowin'  about  V  cried  the  voice. 

"I  again  shouted  'Holloa  !' 

"  '  Who  the  h — IPs  thar  ?"  inquired  the  voice. 

"  '  Casey  ! '  I  called  back,  recognising  the  voice  as  that  of  a 
neighbour  who  lived  up  the  crik  ;  '  for  God's  sake  this  way.' 

"  '  I'm  a-comin','  he  replied  ;  '  'Taint  so  easy  to  get  through 
hyer — that  you,  Redwood  ?  What  the  h — 's  the  matter  ? 
D — n  this  brush  ! ' 

"  I  heard  my  neighbour  breakin'  his  way  through  the  thicket, 
and  strange  I  tell  ye  all,  but  true  it  is,  I  couldn't  believe  I  war 
goin'  to  get  clar  even  then  until  I  seed  Casey  standin'  in  front 
o'  me. 

"  Well,  of  coorse,  I  was  now  set  free  again,  but  couldn't  put 
a  foot  to  the  ground.  Casey  carried  me  home  to  the  shanty, 
whar  I  lay  for  well  nigh  six  weeks,  before  I  could  go  about, 
and  d — n  the  thing  1  I  haint  got  over  it  yet." 

So  ended  Redwood's  story. 


THE    AMERICAN   DEER.  18 1 


CHAPTER     XXIII. 

THE   AMERICAN   DEER. 

DURING  our  next  day's  journey  we  fell  in  with  and  killed  a 
couple  of  deer — a  young  buck  and  doe.  They  were  the  first  of 
these  animals  we  had  yet  seen,  and  that  was  considered  strange, 
as  we  had  passed  through  a  deer  country.  They  were  of  the 
species  common  to  all  parts  of  the  United  States'  territory — the 
"  red  "  or  "  fallow  "  deer  ( Cervus  Virginianus).  It  may  be  here 
remarked  that  the  common  deer  of  the  United  States,  some 
times  called  "  red  deer,"  is  the  fallow  deer  of  English  parks, 
that  the  "  elk  "  of  America  is  the  red  deer  of  Europe,  and  the 
"  elk"  of  Europe  is  the  "moose"  of  America.  Many  mistakes 
are  made  in  relation  to  this  family  of  animals  on  account  of  these 
misapplied  names. 

In  North  America  there  are  six  well-defined  species  of  deer — 
the  moose  (C.  alces)-,  the  elk  (Canadensis);  the  caribou  (taran- 
dus) ;  the  black-tail  or  "  mule  "  deer  (macrolus) ;  the  long-tail 
(Icucurus)-,  and  the  Virginian,  or  fallow  deer  (Virginianus). 
The  deer  of  Louisiana  (C.  nemoralis)  is  supposed  by  some  to  be 
a  different  species  from  any  of  the  above  ;  so  also  is  the  "  maza- 
ma"  of  Mexico  (  C.  Mexicanus.)  It  is  more  probable  that  these 
two  kinds  are  only  varieties  of  the  (Cervus  Virginianus) — the 
difference  in  color,  and  other  respects,  resulting  from  a  differ 
ence  in  food,  climate,  and  such  like  causes. 

It  is  probable,  too,  that  a  small  species  of  deer  exists  in  the 
Russian  possessions  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  quite  distinct 
from  any  of  the  six  mentioned  above  ;  but  so  little  is  yet  known 
of  the  natural  history  of  these  wild  territories,  that  this  can 


188  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

only  be  taken  as  conjecture.  It  may  be  remarked,  also,  that  of 
the  caribou  (C.  tarandus)  there  are  two  marked  varieties,  that, 
may  almost  be  regarded  in  the  light  of  species.  One,  the 
larger,  is  known  as  the  "  woodland  caribou,"  because  it  inhabits 
the  more  southern  and  wooded  districts  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
territory  ;  the  other,  the  "  barren-ground  caribou,"  is  the  "  rein 
deer  ""  of  the  arctic  voyagers. 

Of  the  six  well-ascertained  species,  the  last  mentioned 
(C.  Virginianus)  has  the  largest' geographical  range,  and  is  the 
most  generally  known.  Indeed,  when  the  word*  "  deer  "  is  men 
tioned,  it  only  is  meant.  It  is  the  deer  of  the  United  States. 

The  "black-tails"  and  "long-tails"  are  two  species  that 
may  be  called  new.  Though  long  known  to  trappers  and 
hunters,  they  have  been  but  lately  described  by  the  scientific 
naturalist.  Their  habitat  is  the  "far  west"  in  California, 
Oregon,  the  high'  prairies,  and  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky  Moun 
tains.  Up  to  a  late  period  naturalists  have  had  but  little  to  do 
with  these  countries.  For  this  reason  their  fauna  has  so  long 
remained  comparatively  unknown. 

The  geographical  disposition  of  the  other  four  species  is 
curious.  Each  occupies  a  latitudinal  zone.  That  of  the  caribou, 
or  reindeer,  extends  farthest  north.  It  is  not  found  within  the 
limits  of  the  United  States. 

The  zone  of  the  moose  overleaps  that  of  the  caribou,  but,  on 
the  other  side,  goes  farther  south,  as  this  species  is  met  with 
along  the  extreme  northern  parts  of  the  United  States. 

The  Elk  is  next  in  order.  His  range  "dovetails"  into  that 
of  the  moose,  but  the  elk  roves  still  farther  into  the  temperate 
regions,  being  met  with  almost  as  far  south  as  Texas. 

The  fourth,  the  common  deer,  embraces  in  his  range  the  tem 
perate  and  torrid  zones  of  both  North  and  South  America, 
while  he  is  not  found  in  higher  latitudes  than  the  southern  fron 
tier  of  Canada 


THE    AMERICAN    DEER.  189 

The  common  deer,  therefore,  inhabits  a  greater  area  than  any 
of  his  congeners,  and  is  altogether  the  best-known  animal  of  his 
kind.  Most  persons  know  him  by  sight.  He  is  the  smallest  of 
the  American  species,  being  generally  about  five  feet  in  length 
by  three  in  height,  and  a  little  more  than  lOOlbs.  in  weight. 
He  is  exceedingly  well  formed  and  graceful  ;  his  horns  are  not 
so  large  as  those  of  the  stag,  but,  like  his,  they  are  annually 
caducous,  falling  off  in  the  winter  and  returning  in  the  spring. 
They  are  rounded  below,  but  in  the  upper  part  slightly  flattened 
or  palmated*.  Th«  antlers  do  not  rise  upward,  but  protrude  for- 
ward  over  the  brow  in  a  threatening  manner.  There  is  no 
regular  rule,  however,  for  their  shape  and  "  set,"  and  their  num 
ber  also  varies  in  different  individuals.  The  horns  are  also 
present  only  in  the  male  or  buck  ;  the  doe  is  without  them 
They  rise  from  a  rough  •  bony  protuberance  on  the  forehead, 
called  the  "  burr."  In  the  first  year  they  grow  in  the  shape  of 
two  short  straight  spikes  ;  hence  the  name  "spike  bucks"  given 
to  the  animals  of  that  age.  In  the  second  season  a  small  antler 
appears  on  each  horn,  and  the  number  increases  until  the  fourth 
year,  when  they  obtain  a  full  head-dress  of  "  branching  horns." 
The  antlers,  or,  as  they  are  sometimes  called,  "  points,"  often 
increase  in  number  with  the  age  of  the  animal,  until  as  many  as 
fifteen  make  their  appearance.  This,  however,  is  rare.  Indeed, 
the  food  of  the  animal  has  much  to  do  with  the  growth  of  his 
horns.  In  an  ill-fed  specimen  they  do  not  grow  to  such  size,  nor 
branch  so  luxuriantly  as  in  a  well-fed  fat  buck. 

We  have  said  that  the  horns  fall  annually.  This  takes  place 
in  winter — in  December  and  January.  They  are  rarely  found, 
however,  as  they  are  soon  eaten  up  by  the  small-gnawing 
animals. 

The  new  horns  begin  to  grow  as  soon  as  the  old  ones  have 
dropped  off.  During  the  spring  and  summer  they  are  covered 
with  a  soft  velvety  substance,  and  they  are  then  described  as 


190 

being  "in  the  velvet."  The  blood  circulates  freely  through  this 
membrane,  and  it  is  highly  sensitive,  so  that  a  blow  upon  the 
horns  at  this  season  produces  great  pain.  By  the  time  the 
"rutting  season"  commences  (in  October),  the  velvet  has  peeled 
off,  and  the  horns  are  then  in  order  for  battle — and  they  need 
be,  for  the  battles  of  the  bucks  during  this  period  are  terrible 
indeed.  Frequently  their  horns  get  "  locked"  in  such  conflicts, 
and  being  unable  to  separate  them,  the  combatants  remain  in 
this  situation  till  both  perish  by  hunger,  or  fall  a  prey  to  their 
natural  enemy — the  wolf.  Many  pairs  of  horns  have  been  found 
in  the  forest  thus  locked  together,  and  there  is  not  a  museum  in 
America  without  this  singular  souvenir  of  mutual  destruction  ! 

The  hair  of  the  American  deer  is  thickly  set  and  smooth  on. 
the  surface.  In  winter  it  grows  longer  and  is  of  a  greyish  hue  ; 
the  deer  is  then,  according  to  hunter  phraseology,  "in  the  grey." 
In  the  summer  a  new  coat  is  obtained,  which  is  reddish,  or  calf- 
coloured.  The  deer  is  then  "  in  the  red."  Towards  the  end  of 
August,  or  in  autumn,  the  whole  coat  has  a  blue  tinge.  This  is 
called  "  in  the  blue."  At  all  times  the  animal  is  of  a  whitish 
appearance  on  the  throat  and  belly  and  insides  of  the  legs. 
The  skin  is  toughest  when  "  in  the  red,"  thickest  "in  the  blue," 
and  thinnest  "  in  the  grey."  In  the  blue  it  makes  the  best 
buckskin,  and  is,  therefore  most  valuable  when  obtained  in 
autumn. 

The  fawns  of  this  species  are  beautiful  little  creatures  ;  they 
are  fawn-coloured  and  showered  all  over  with  white  spots,  which 
disappear  towards  the  end  of  their  first  summer,  when  they  gra 
dually  get  into  the  winter  grey. 

The  American  deer  is  a  valuable  animal.  Much  of  the  buck 
skin  of  commerce  is  the  product  of  its  hides,  and  the  horns  are 
put  to  many  uses.  Its  flesh,  besides  supplying  the  tables  of  the 
wealthy,  has  been  for  centuries  almost  the  whole  sustenance  of 
whole  nations  of  Indians.  Its  skins  have  furnished  them  with 


THE    AMERICAN    DEER.  191 

tents,  beds,  and  clothing  ;  its  intestines  with  bowstrings,  ball 
"  raquets,"  and  snow-shoes  ;  and  in  the  chase  of  this  creature 
they  have  found  almost  their  sole  occupation  as  well  as  amuse 
ment. 

With  so  many  enemies,  it  is  a  matter  of  wonder  that  this 
species  has  not  long  been  extirpated  ;  not  only  has  man  been 
its  constant  and  persevering  destroyer,  but  it  has  a  host  of 
enemies  besides,  in  the  cougar,  the  lynxes,  the  wolverene,  And 
the  wolves. 

The  last  are  its  worst  foes.  Hunters  state  that  for  one  deer 
killed  by  themselves,  five  fall  a  prey  to  the  wolves.  These 
attack  the  young  and  feeble,  and  soon  run  them  down.  The 
old  deer  can  escape  from  a  wolf  by  superior  speed  ;  but  in 
remote  districts,  where  the  wolves  are  numerous,  they  unite  in 
packs  of  eight  or  ten,  and  follow  the  deer  as  hounds  do,  and 
even  with  a  somewhat  similar  howling.  They  run  by  the  nose, 
and  unless  the  deer  can  reach  water,  and  thus  escape  them,  they 
will  tire  it  down  in  the  end. 

Frequently  the  deer,  when  thus  followed  in  winter,  makes  for 
the  ice,  upon  which  he  is  soon  overtaken  by  his  hungry  pursuers. 

Notwithstanding  all  this,  the  American  deer  is  still  common 
in  most  of  the  States,  and  in  some  of  them  even  plentiful. 
Where  the  wolves  have  been  thinned  off  by  "  bounty  "  laws, 
and  the  deer  protected  during  the  breeding  season  by  legislative 
enactments,  as  is  the  case  in  New  York,  their  number  is  said  to 
be  on  the  increase.  The  markets  of  all  the  great  cities  in  Ame 
rica  are  supplied  with  venison  almost  as  cheap  as  beef,  which 
shows  that  the  deer  are  yet  far  from  being  scarce. 

The  habits  of  this  creature  are  well  known.  It  is  gregarious 
in  its  natural  habitat.  The  herd  is  usually  led  by  an  old  buck, 
who  watches  over  the  safety  of  the  others  while  feeding.  When 
an  enemy  approaches,  this  sentinel  and  leader  strikes  the  ground 
sharply  with  his  hoofs,  snorts  loudly,  and  emits  a  shrill  whistle  ; 


192  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

all  the  time  fronting  the  danger  with  his  horns  set  forward  ir 
a  threatening  manner.  So  long  as  he  does  not  attempt  to  run 
the  others  continue  to  browse  with  confidence  ;  but  the  moment 
their  leader  starts  to  fly,  all  the  rest  follow,  each  trying  to  be 
foremost. 

They  are  timid  upon  ordinary  occasions,  but  the  bucks  in  the 
rutting  season  are  bold,  and  when  wounded  and  brought  "to 
bay,"  are  not  to  be  approached  with  impunity.  They  can 
inflict  terrible  blows,  both  with  their  hoofs  and  antlers  ;  and 
hunters  who  have  come  too  near  them  on  such  occasions  have 
with  difficulty  escaped  being  gored  to  death. 

They  are  foes  to  the  snake  tribe,  and  kill  the  most  venomous 
serpents  without  being  bitten.  The  rattle-snake  hides  from 
their  attack.  Their  mode  of  destroying  these  creatures  is  similar 
to  that  employed  by  the  peccary  (dicotyles)  :  that  is,  by  pounc 
ing  down  upon  them  with  the  four  hoofs  held  close  together, 
and  thus  crushing  them  to  death.  The  hostility  of  the  peccary 
to  snakes  is  easily  understood,  as  no  sooner  has  it  killed  one 
than  it  makes  a  meal  of  it.  With  the  deer,  of  course,  such  is 
not  the  case,  as  they  are  not  carnivorous.  Its  enmity  to  the 
reptile  race  can  be  explained  only  by  supposing  that  it  possesses 
a  knowledge  of  their  dangerous  qualities,  and  thinks  they  should 
therefore  be  got  rid  of. 

The  food  of  the  American  deer  consists  of  twigs,  leaves  of 
trees,  and  grass.  They  are  fonder  of  the  tree-shoots  than  the 
grass ;  but  their  favourite  morsels  are  the  buds  and  flowers  of 
nyrnpha,  especially  those' of  the  common  pond-lily.  To  get  these 
they  wade  into  the  lakes  and  rivers  like  the  moose,  and,  like 
them,  are  good  swimmers. 

They  love  the  shady  forest  better  than  the  open  ground,  and 
they  haunt  the  neighbourhood  of  streams.  These  afford  them 
protection,  as  well  as  a  means  of  quenching  thirst.  When  pur 
sued,  their  irst  thought  is  to  make  for  water,  in  order  to  elude 


THE    AMERICAN    DEER.  193 

the  pursuer,  which  tbey  often  succeed  in  doing,  throwing  both 
dogs  and  wolves  off  the  scent.  In  summer,  they  seek  the  water 
to  cool  themselves,  and  get  free  from  flies  and  mosquitoes,  that 
pester  them  sadly. 

They  are  fond  of  salt,  and  repair  in  great  numbers  to  the 
salines  and  salt  springs,  that  abound  in  all  parts  of  America. 
At  these  they  lick  up  quantities  of  earth  along  with  the  salt 
efflorescence,  until  vast  hollows  are  formed  in  the  earth,  termed, 
from  this  circumstance,  salt  "  licks."  The  consequence  of  this 
"dirt-eating"  is,  that  the  excrement  of  the  animal  comes  forth 
in  hard  pellets  ;  and  by  seeing  this,  the  hunters  can  always  tell 
when  they  are  in  the  neighbourhood  of  a  "  lick." 

The  does  produce  in  spring — in  May  or  June,  according  to 
the  latitude.  They  bring  forth  one,  two,  and  very  rarely  three 
fawns  at  a  birth.  Their  attachment  to  their  young  is  proverbial. 

The  mothers  treat  them  with  the  greatest  tenderness,  and  hide 
them  while  they  go  to  feed.  The  bleating  of  the  fawn  at  once 
recalls  the  mother  to  its  side.  The  hunter  often  imitates  this 
with  success,  using  either  his  own  voice,  or  a  "  call,"  made  out 
of  a  cane  joint.  An  anecdote,  told  by  Parry,  illustrates  this 
maternal  fondness  : — "  The  mother,  finding  her  young  one  could 
not  swim  as  fast  herself,  was  observed  to  stop  repeatedly,  so  as 
to  allow  the  fawn  to  come  up  with  her ;  and,  having  landed  first, 
stood  watching  it  with  trembling  anxiety  as  the  boat  chased  it 
to  the  shore.  She  was  repeatedly  fired  at,  but  remained  immov 
able,  until  her  offspring  landed  in  safety,  when  they  both  can 
tered  out  of  sight."  The  deer  to  which  Parry  refers  is  the  small 
"  caribou  ;"  but  a  similar  affection  exists  between  the  mother 
and  fawns  of  the  common  deer. 

The  American  deer  is  hunted  for  its  flesh,  its  hide,  and  "  the 
sport."  There  are  many  modes  of  hunting  it.  The  simplest  and 
most  common  is  that  which  is  termed  "  still"  hunting.  In  this 
the  hunter  is  armed  with  his  rifle  or  deer  gun — a  heavy  fowling- 

9 


194 

piece — and  steals  forward  upon  the  deer,  as  be  would  upon  any 
other  game.  "  Cover  "  is  not  so  necessary  as  silence  in  such  a 
hunt.  This  deer,  like  some  antelopes,  is  of  a  "  curious"  disposi 
tion,  and  will  sometimes  allow  the  hunter  to  approach  in  full 
view  without  attempting  to  run  off.  But  the  slightest  noise, 
such  as  the  rustling  of  dry  leaves,  or  the  snapping  of  a  stick, 
will  alarm  him.  His  sense  of  hearing  is  extremely  acute.  His 
nose,  too,  is  a  keen  one,  and  he  often  scents  the  hunter,  and 
makes  off  long  before  the  latter  has  got  within  sight  or  range. 
It  is  necessary  in  "still"  hunting  to  leave  the  dog  at  home; 
unless,  indeed,  he  be  an  animal  trained  to  the  purpose. 

Another  species  of  hunting  is  "  trailing  "  the  deer  in  snow. 
This  is  done  either  with  dogs  or  without  them.  The  snow  must 
be  frozen  over,  so  as  to  cut  the  feet  of  the  deer,  which  puts 
them  in  such  a  state  of  fear  and  pain,  that  the  hunter  can  easily 
get  within  shot.  I  have  assisted  in  killing  twenty  in  a  single 
morning  in  this  way  ;  and  that  too,  in  a  district  where  deer  were 
not  accounted  plentiful. 

The  *'  drive  "  is  the  most  exciting  mode  of  hunting  deer  ;  and 
the  one  practised  by  those  who  hunt  for  "  the  sport."  This  is 
done  with  hounds,  and  the  horsemen  who  follow  them  also  carry 
guns.  In  fact,  there  is  hardly  a  species  of  him  ting' in  America 
in  which  firearms  are  not  used. 

Several  individuals  are  required  to  make  up  a  "  deer  drive." 
They  are  generally  men  who  know  the  "  lay  "  of  the  country, 
with  all  its  ravines  and  passes.  One  or  two  only  accompany 
the  hounds  as  "  drivers,"  while  the  rest  get  between  the  place 
where  the  dogs  are  beating  the  cover  and  some  river  towards 
which  it  is  "  calculated  "  the  startled  game  will  run.  They  deploy 
themselves  into  a  long  line,  which  sometimes  extends  for  miles 
through  the  forest.  Each,  as  he  arrives  at  his  station,  or  "  stand," 
as  it  is  called,  dismounts,  ties  his  horse  in  a  thicket,  and  takes 
his  stand,  "  covering ';  himself  behind  a  log  or  tree.  The  stands 


THE    AMERICAN   DEER.  196 

are  selected  with  reference  to  the  configuration  of  the  ground, 
or  by  paths  which  the  deer  are  accustomed  to  take  ;  and  as 
soon  as  all  have  so  arranged  themselves,  the  dogs  at  a  distant 
point  are  set  loose,  and  the  "drive  "  begins. 

The  "  stand  men  "  remain  quiet,  with  their  guns  in  readiness. 
The  barking  of  the  dogs  afar  off  through  the  woods,  nsually 
admonishes  them  when  a  deer  has  been  "  put  up  ;"  and  they 
watch  with  eager  expectation,  each  one  hoping  that  the  game 
may  come  his  way. 

Hours  are  sometimes  passed  without  the  hunter  either  seeing 
or  hearing  a  living  thing  but  himself  and  his  horse  ;  and  many 
a  day  he  returns  home  from  such  a  "  chase  "  without  having  had 
the  slightest  glimpse  of  either  buck,  doe,  or  fawn. 

This  is  discouraging  ;  but  at  other  times  he  is  rewarded  for 
his  patient  watching.  A  buck  comes  bounding  forward,  the 
hounds  after  him  in  full  cry  At  intervals  he  stops,  and  throws 
himself  back  on  his  haunches  like  a  halted  hare.  His  eyes  are 
protruded,  and  wa,tching  backward.  His  beautiful  neck  is  swol 
len  with  fear  and  rage,  and  his  branching  antlers  tower  high  in 
the  air.  Again  he  springs  forward,  and  approaches  the  silent 
hunter,  who,  with  a  beating  heart,  holds  his  piece  in  the  attitude 
of  "  ready."  He  makes  another  of  his  pauses.  The  gun  is 
levelled,  the  trigger  pulled;  the  bullet  speeds  forth,  and  strikes 
into  his  broad  chest,  causing  him  to  leap  upward  in  the  spas 
modic  effort  of  death. 

The  excitement  of  a  scene  like  this  rewards  the  hunter  for  his 
long  and  lonely  vigil. 

u  Torch  hunting,"  or  "  fire-hunting,"  as  it  is  sometimes  termed, 
is  another  method  of  capturing  the  fallow  deer.  It  is  done  by 
carrying  a  torch  in  a  very  dark  night  through  woods  where  deer 
are  known  to  frequent.  The  torch  is  made  of  pine-knots,  well 
dried.  They  are  not  tied  in  bunches,  as  represented  by  some 
writers,  but  carried  in  a  vessel  of  hard  metal.  A  frying-pan 


19  6  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

with  a  long  handle,  as  already  stated,  is  best  for  the  pur 
pose. 

The  "  knots  "  are  kindled  within  the  pan,  and,  if  good  ones, 
yield  a  blaze  that  will  light  the  woods  for  a  hundred  yards 
around.  The  deer  seeing  this  strange  object,  and  impelled  by 
curiosity,  approaches  within  range;  and  the  "glance"  of  his 
eyes,  like  two  burning  coals,  betrays  him  to  the  hunter,  who 
with  his  deadly  rifle  "  sights  "  between  the  shining  orbs  and  fires. 

While  we  were  on  the  subject  of  torch-hunting  the  doctor  took 
up  the  cue,  and  gave  us  an  account  of  a  torch  hunt  he  had 
made  in  Tennessee. 

"I  will  tell  you  of  a  '  torch  hunt,'  "  said  he,  "  of  which,  pars 
ma£  na  fui,  and  which  ended  with  a  '  catastrophe.'  It  took 
place  in  Tennessee,  where  I  was  for  awhile  sojourning.  I  am 
not  much  of  a  hunter,  as  you  all  know;  but  happening  to  reside 
in  a  '  settlement,'  where  there  were  some  celebrated  hunters, 
and  in  the  neighbourhood  of  which  was  an  abundance  of  game, 
I  was  getting  very  fond  of  it.  I  had  heard,  among  other  things, 
of  this  '  torch  hunting,' — in  fact,  had  read  many  interesting 
descriptions  of  it,  but  I  had  never  witnessed  the  sport  myself  ; 
and  was  therefore  eager,  above  all  things,  to  join  in  a  torch 
hunt. 

"  The  opportunity  at  length  offered.  A  party  was  made  up 
to  go  hunting,  of  which  I  was  one. 

"  There  were  six  of  us  in  all  ;  but  it  was  arranged  that  we 
sbould  separate  into  three  pairs,  each  taking  its  own  torch  and 
a  separate  course  through  the  woods.  In  each  pair  one  was  to 
carry  the  light,  while  the  other  managed  the  '  shooting  iron.' 
We  were  all  to  meet  at  one  appointed  rendezvous  when  the 
hunt  was  over. 

"  These  preliminaries  being  arranged  and  the  torches  made 
ready,  we  separated.  My  partner  and  I  plunged  into  the  deep 
forest. 


THE    AMERICAN    DEER.  197 

"  The  night  was  dark  as  pitch — dark  nights  are  the  best — 
and  when  we  entered  the  woods  we  had  to  grope  our  way.  Of 
course,  we  had  not  yet  set  fire  to  our  torch,  as  we  had  not 
reached  the  place  frequented  by  the  deer. 

"  My  companion  was  an  old  hunter,  and  by  right  should  have 
carried  the  gun  ;  but  it  was  arranged  differently,  out  of  compli 
ment  to  me — the  stranger.  He  held  in  one  hand  the  huge  fry 
ing-pan,  while  in  a  bag  over  his  shoulder  was  a  bushel  or  more 
of  dry  pine-knots. 

"On  arriving  at  the  place  where  it  was  expected  deer  would 
be  found,  we  set  fire  to  our  torch,  and  in  a  few  moments  the 
blaze  threw  its  glaring  circle  around  us,  painting  with  vermilion 
the  trunks  of  the  great  trees. 

"  In  this  way  we  proceeded  onward,  advancing  slowly  and 
with  as  little  noise  as  possible.  We  talked  only  in  whispers, 
keeping  our  eyes  turned  upon  all  sides  at  once.  But  we  walked 
and  walked,  up  hill  and  down  hill,  for,  I  should  say,  ten  miles  at 
the  least  ;  and  not  a  single  pair  of  bright  orbs  answered  to  our 
luminary.  Not  a  deer's  eye  reflected  the  blaze  of  our  torch. 

"  We  had  kept  the  fire  replenished  and  burning  vividly  to  no 
purpose,  until  hardly  a  knot  remained  in  the  bag. 

"  I  had  grown  quite  tired  in  this  fruitless  search.  So  had  iny 
companion,  and  both  of  us  felt  chagrin  and  disappointment. 
We  felt  this  the  more  keenly  as  there  had  been  a  "  supper-wager" 
laid  between  us  and  our  friends,  as  to  what  party  would  kill  the 
greatest  number  of  deer,  and  we  fancied  once  or  twice  that  we 
heard  shots  far  off  in  the  direction  the  others  had  gone.  We 
were  likely  to  come  back  empty  handed,  while  they,  no  doubt, 
would  bring  a  deer  each,  perhaps  more. 

"  We  were  returning  towards  the  point  from  which  we  had 
started,  both  of  us  in  a  most  unamiable  mood,  when  all  at  once 
an  object  right  before  us  attracted  my  attention,  and  brought 
me  to  a  sudden  halt.  I  did  not  wait  to  ask  any  questions.  A 


198  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

pair  of  small  round  circles  glistened  in  the  darkness  like  two 
little  discs  of  fire.  Of  course  they  were  eyes.  Of  course  they 
were  the  eyes  of  a  deer. 

"  I  could  see  no  body,  for  the  two  luminous  objects  shone  as 
if  set  in  a  ground  of  ebony.  But  I  did  not  stay  to  scan  in  what 
they  were  set.  My  piece  was  up.  I  glanced  hastily  along  the 
barrel.  I  sighted  between  the  eyes.  I  pulled  the  trigger.  I 
fired. 

"  As  I  did  so,  I  fancied  that  I  heard  my  companion  shouting 
to  me,  but  the  report  hindered  me  from  hearing  what  he  said. 

"  When  the  echoes  died  away,  however,  his  voice  reached  me, 
in  a  full,  clear  tone,  pronouncing  these  words  : — 

"    Tarnation,  doctor  !     You've  shot  Squire  Robbins's  bull  ! '  " 

11  At  the  same  time  the  bellowing  of  the  bull,  mingling  with 
his  own  loud  laugh,  convinced  me  that  the  hunter  had  spoken 
the  truth. 

"  He  was  a  good  old  fellow,  and  promised  to  keep  dark  :  but 
it  was  necessary  to  make  all  right  with  '  Squire  Robbins.'  So 
the  affair  soon  got  wind,  and  my  torch-hunt  became,  for  a  time, 
the  standing  joke  of  the  '  settlement/  " 


CHAPTER    XXIV. 


As  we  were  now  approaching  the  regions  where  the  common 
fallow  deer  ceased  to  be  met  with,  and  where  its  place  is  sup 
plied  by  two  other  species,  these  last  became  the  subject  of  our 
talk.  The  species  referred  to  are  the  "  black  tails,"  and  "  long 
tails"  (Iscrvus  macrotis  and  leucurus). 


/' /  '        DEER   HUNT    IX   A    "  DUG-OUT."  199 

Ike  and  Redwood  were  well  acquainted  with  both  kinds,  as 
they  had  often  trapped  beaver  in  the  countries  where  these  deer 
are  found  ;  and  they  gave  us  a  very  good  account  of  the 
habits  of  these  animals,  which  showed  that  both  species  were  in 
many  respects  similar  to 'the  Cervus  Virginianus.  Their  form, 
however,  as  well  as  their  size,  colour,  and  markings,  leave  no 
doubt  of  their  being  specifically  distinct,  not  only  from  the  latter, 
but  from  each  other.  Indeed  there  are  two  varieties  of  the 
black  tails,  differing  in  some  respects,  although  both  have  the 
dark  hair  upon  the  tail,  and  the  long  ears,  which  so  much  dis 
tinguish  them  from  other  deer.  The  great  length  of  their  ears 
gives  to  their  heads  a  "  mulish  "  look — hence  they  are  often 
known  among  the  trappers  by  the  name  of  "  mule  deer."  Ike 
and  Redwood  spoke  of  them  by  this  name  although  they  also 
knew  them  as  "  black  tails,"  and  this  last  is  the  designation  most 
generally  used.  They  receive  it  on  account  of  the  colour  of  the 
hair  upon  the  upper  side  of  their  tail  tips,  which  is  of  a  jetty 
blackness,  and  is  very  full  and  conspicuous. 

The  two  species  have  been  often  confounded  with  each  other, 
though  in  many  respects  they  are  totally  unlike.  The  black  tails 
are  larger,  their  legs  shorter  and  their  bodies  more  "  chunky," 
and  altogether  of  stouter  build.  In  running,  they  bound  with 
all  their  feet  raised  at  once  ;  while  those  of  the  long-tailed 
species  run  more  like  the  common  fallow  deer — by  trotting  a  few 
steps,  then  giving  a  bound,  and  trotting  as  before. 

The  ears  of  the  black  tails  stand  up  full  half  the  height  of 
their  antlers,  and  their  hair,  of  a  reddish-brown  colour,  is  coarser 
than  the  hair  of  the  Cervus  Virginianus,  and  more  like  the  coat 
of  the  elk  ( Cervus  Canadensis).  Their  hoofs,  too,  are  shorter 
and  wider,  and  in  this  respect  there  is  also  a  similarity  to  the 
elk.  The  flesh  of  the  black  tails  is  inferior  to  that  of  the  fallow 
deer,  while  the  long-tailed  kind  produces  a  venison  very  similar 
to  the  latter. 


200  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

Both  species  inhabit  woodlands  occasionally,  but  their  favour 
ite  habitat  is  the  prairie,  or  that  species  of  undulating  country 
where  prairie  and  forest  alternate,  forming  a  succession  of  groves 
and  openings.  Both  are  found  only  in  the  western  half  of  the 
continent — that  is,  in  the  wild  regions  extending  from  the 
Mississippi  to  the  Pacific.  In  longitude,  as  far  east  as  the  Missis 
sippi,  they  are  rarely  seen  ;  but  as  you  travel  westward,  either 
approaching  the  Rocky  Mountains,  or  beyond  those  to  the 
shores  of  the  Pacific,  they  are  the  common  deer  of  the  country. 
The  black-tailed  kind  is  more  southern  in  its  range.  It  is  found 
in  the  Californias,  and  the  valleys  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  as 
far  south  as  Texas  ;  while  to  the  north  it  is  met  with  in 
Oregon,  and  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  as  high 
as  the  fifty-fourth  parallel.  The  long-tailed  species  is  the  most 
common  deer  of  Oregon  and  the  Columbia  River,  and  its  range 
also  extends  east  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  though  not  so  far  as 
the  longitude  of  the  Mississippi. 

The  hunter-naturalist,  who  had  some  years  before  made  a 
journey  to  Oregon,  and  of  course  had  become  well  acquainted 
with  the  habits  of  the  Cervus  hucurus,  gave  us  a  full  account  of 
them,  and  related  a  stirring  adventure  that  had  befallen  him 
while  hunting  "  long-tails  "  upon  the  Columbia. 

"  The  long-tailed  deer,"  began  he,  "  is  one  of  the  smallest  of 
the  deer  kind.  Its  weight  rarely  exceeds  lOOlbs.  It  resembles 
in  form  and  habits  the  common  fallow  deer,  the  chief  distinction 
being  the  tail,  which  is  a  very  conspicuous  object..  This  appen 
dage  is  often  found  to  measure  eight  inches  in  length  ! 

"  While  running,  the  tail  is  held  erect,  and  kept  constantly 
switching  from  side  to  side,  so  as  to  produce  a  singular  and 
somewhat  ludicrous  effect  upon  the  minds  of  the  spectator. 

"  The  gait  of  this  animal  is  also  peculiar.  It  first  takes  two 
ambling  steps  that  resemble  a  trot,  after  these  it  makes  a  long 
bound,  which  carries  it  about  twice  the  distance  of  the  steps, 


DEER   HUNT   IN   A    "  DUG-OUT."  201 

and  then  it  trots  again.  No  matter  how  closely  pursued,  it  never 
alters  this  mode  of  progression. 

"Like  the  fallow  deer  it  produces  spotted  fawns,  which  are 
brought  forth  in  the  spring,  and  change  their  colour  to  that  of 
the  deer  itself  in  the  first  winter.  About  the  first  of  November 
they  gather  into  herds,  and  remain  together  until  April,  when 
they  separate,  the  females  secreting  themselves  to  bring  forth 
their  young. 

"  The  long-tailed  deer  is  often  found  in  wooded  countries  ; 
though  its  favourite  haunts  are  not  amid  the  heavy  timber  of  the 
great  forests,  but  in  the  park-like  openings  that  occur  in  many 
parts  of  the  Rocky  Mountain  valleys. 

"  Sometimes  whole  tracts  of  country  are  met  with  in  these 
regions,  whose  surface  exhibits  a  pleasing  variety  of  woodland 
and  prairie  ;  sloping  hills  appear  with  coppices  upon  their  crests 
and  along  their  sides.  Among  these  natural  groves  may  be  seen 
troops  of  the  long-tailed  deer,  browsing  along  the  declivities  of 
the  hills,  and,  by  their  elegant  attitudes  and  graceful  movements, 
adding  to  the  beauty  of  the  landscape. 

"  Some  years  ago  I  had  an  opportunity  of  hunting  the  long- 
tailed  deer.  I  was  on  my  way  across  the  Rocky  Mountains  to 
Fort  Vancouver,  when  circumstances  rendered  it  necessary  that 
I  should  stop  for  some  days  at  a  small  trading  post  on  one  of 
the  branches  of  the  Columbia.  I  was,  in  fact,  detained,  wait 
ing  for  a  party  of  fur-traders  with  whom  I  was  to  travel,  and 
who  required  some  time  to  get  their  packs  in  readiness. 

"  The  trading-post  was  a  small  place,  with  miserable  accom 
modations,  having  scarcely  room  enough  in  its  two  or  three 
wretched  log-cabins  to  lodge  half  the  company  that  happened 
at  the  time  to  claim  its  hospitality.  As  my  business  was  simply 
to  wait  for  my  travelling  companions ,  I  was  of  course  ennuye 
almost  to  death  m  such  a  place.  There  was  nothing  to  be  seen 
around  but  packs  of  beaver,  otter,  mink,  fox,  and  bear  skins  ; 

9* 


202  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

and  nothing  to  be  heard  but  the  incessant  chattering  of  Cana 
dian  voyageurs,  in  their  mixed  jargon  of  French,  English,  and 
Indian.  To  make  matters  still  more  unpleasant,  there  was  very 
little  to  eat,  and  nothing  to  drink  but  the  clear  water  of  the  little 
mountTam-stream  upon  which  the  fort  was  built. 

"The,  surrounding  country,  however,  was  beautiful  ;  and  the 
lovely  landscapes  that  on  every  side  met  the  eye  almost  compen 
sated  for  the  discomforts  of  the  post.  The  surface  of  the  coun 
try  watt  what  is  termed  rolling — gentle  undulations  here  and 
there  rising  into  dome-shaped  hills  of  low  elevation.  These 
were  crowned  with  copses  of  shrubby  trees,  principally  of  the 
wild  filbert  or  hazel  (corylus}  with  several  species  of  rosa  and 
raspb'jy,ry  (rubus)  and  bushes  of  the  juneberry  (amelanchier) , 
with  their  clusters  of  purplish-red  fruit.  The  openings  between 
were  covered  with  a  sward  of  short  gramma  grass,  and  the 
wholf;  landscape  presented  the  appearance  of  a  cultivated  park ; 
BO  that  one  involuntarily  looked  along  the  undulating  outlines  of 
the  hills  for  some  noble  mansion  or  lordly  castle. 

"  It  is  just  in  such  situations  that  the  fallow-deer  delights  to 
dwdil  ;  and  these  are  the  favourite  haunts  of  its  near  congeners, 
the  long-tails.  I  had  ascertained  this  from  the  people  at  the 
post  ;  and  the  fact  that  fresh  venison  formed  our  staple  and 
daily  food  was  proof  sufficient  that  some  species  of  deer  was  to 
be  found  in  the  neighbourhood.  I  was  not  long,  therefore,  after 
my  arrival,  in  putting  myself  in  train  for  a  hunt. 

"  Unfortunately,  the  gentlemen  of  the  company  were  too  busy 
to  go  along  with  me  ;  so  also  were  the  numerous  engages  ;  and 
I  set  out  taking  only  my  servant,  a  bois  brule,  or  half-breed,  who 
happened,  however,  to  be  a  good  guide  for  such  an  expedition, 
as  well  as  a  first-rate  hunter.  •«"':• 

"  Setting  out,  we  kept  down  the  stream  for  some  distance, 
walking  along  its  bank.  We  saw  numerous  deer-tracks  in  the 
mud,  where,  the  animals  had  gone  to  and  from  the  water.  These 


DEER   HUNT   IN   A    "  DUG-OUT."  203 

tracks  were  almost  fresh,  and  many  of  them,  as  my  servant 
averred,  must  have  been  made  the  previous  night  by  the  animals 
coming  to  drink — a  common  habit  with  them,  especially  in  hot 
weather. 

"  But,  strange  to  say,  we  walked  a  mile  or  more  without  get 
ting  a  glimpse  of  a  single  deer,  or  any  sort  of  animal.  I  was 
beginning 'to  get  discouraged,  when  my  man  proposed  that  we 
should  leave  the  stream,  and  proceed  back  upon  the  hills.  The 
deer,  he  believed,  would  be  found  there. 

"  This  was  resolved  upon  ;  and  we  accordingly  struck  out  for 
the  high  ground.  We  soon  climbed  up  from  the  river  bottom, 
and  thread*ed  our  way  amidst  the  fragrant  shrubbery  of  ame- 
lanchiers  and  wild  roses,  cautiously  scrutinising  every  new  vista 
that  opened  before  us. 

"  We  had  not  gone  far  before  we  caught  sight  of  several 
deer  ;  we  could  also  hear  them  at  intervals,  behind  the  copses 
that  surrounded  us,  the  males  uttering  a  strange  whistling 
sound,  similar  to  that  produced  by  blowing  into  the  barrel  of  a 
gun,  while  this  was  occasionally  replied  to  by  the  goat-like  bleat 
of  the  females. 

"  Strange  to  say,  however,  they  were  all  very  shy,  and  not 
withstanding  much  cautious  crouching  and  creeping  among  the 
bushes,  we  wandered  about  for  nearly  two-thirds  of  the  day  with 
out  getting  a  shot  at  any  one  of  them. 

"  What  had  made  them  so  wary  we  could  not  at  the  time 
tell,  but  we  afterwafds  learned  that  a  large  party  of  Flathead 
Indians  had  gone  over  the  ground  only  a  few  days  before,  and 
had  put  the  deer  to  a  three  days'  chase,  from  which  they  had 
not  yet  recovered.  Indeed,  we  saw  Indian  "sign"  all  along 
the  route,  and  at  one  place  came  upon  the  head  and  horns  of  a 
fine  buck,  which,  from  some  fancy  or  other  of  the  hunter,  had 
been  left  suspended  from  the  branch  of  a  tree,  and  had  thus 
escaped  being  stripped  by  the  wolves. 


204  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

;*  At  sight  of  this  trophy,  my  companion  appeared  to  be  in 
ecstacies.  I  could  not  understand  what  there  was  in  a  worthless 
set  of  antlers  to  produce  such  joyful  emotions  ;  but  as  Blue  Dick 
— such  was  the  sobriquet  of  my  servant — was  not  much  given 
to  idle  exhibitions  of  feeling,  I  knew  there  must  be  something 
In  it. 

41 '  Now,  master,"  said  he,  '  if  I  had  something  else,  I  could 
promise  you  a  shot  at  the  long-tails,  shy.  as  they  are/ 

"  '  Something  else  !    What  do  you  want  ?'  I  inquired. 

"  '  Something  that  ought  to  grow  about  yar,  else  I'm  mightily 
mistaken  in  the  sign.  Let  me  try  down  yonder,'  and  Dick 
pointed  to  a  piece  of  low  swampy  ground  that  lay  to  one  side 
of  our  course. 

"  I  assented,  and  followed  him  to  the  place. 

"  We  had  hardly  reached  the  border  of  the  wet  ground,  when 
an  exclamation  from  my  companion  told  me  that  the  '  something J 
he  wanted  was  in  sight. 

"  '  Yonder,  master  :   the  very  weed  :  see  yonder.' 

"  Dick  pointed  to  a  tall  herbaceous  plant  that  grew  near  the 
edge  of  the  swamp.  Its  stem  was -fully  eight  feet  in  height,  with 
large  lobed  leaves,  and  a  wide-spreading  umbel  of  pretty  white 
flowers.  I  knew  the  plant  well.  It  was  that  which  is  known  in 
some  places  as  masterwort,  but  more  commonly  by  the  name  of 
cow  parsnep.  Its  botanical  name  is  Heracleum  lanatum.  I 
knew  that  its  roots  possessed  stimulant  and  carminative  pro 
perties  ;  but  that  the  plant  had  anything  to  do  with  deer-hunt 
ing,  I  was  ignorant. 

"Dick,  however,  was  better  acquainted  with  its  uses  in  that 
respect  ;  and  his  hunter-craft  soon  manifested  itself, 

"  Drawing  his  knife  from  its  sheath,  he  cut  one  of  the  joints 
from  the  stem  of  the  heracleum,  about  six  inches  in  length.  This 
be  commenced  fashioning  somewhat  after  the  manner  of  $ 
penny-trumpet. 


DUG-OUT."  205 

"  In  a  few  minutes  he  bad  whittled  it  to  the  proper  form  arid 
dimensions,  after  which  he  put  up  his  knife,  and  applying  the 
pipe  to  his  lips,  blew  into  it.  The  sound  produced  was  so  exactly 
like  that  which  I  had  already  heard  to  proceed  from  the  deer 
that  I  was  startled  by  the  resemblance. 

"  .Not  having  followed  his  rnanreuvres,  I  fancied  for  a  moment 
that  we  had  got  into  close  proximity  with  one  of  the  long-tails. 
My  companion  laughed,  as  he  pointed  triumphantly  to  his  new 
made  '  call.' 

"  '  Now,  master/  said  he,  '  we'll  soon  "  rub  out v  one  of  the 
long-tail  bucks.' 

"  So  saying,  he  took  up  the  antlers,  and  desired  me  to  follow 
him. 

"  We  proceeded  as  before,  walking  quickly  but  cautiously 
among  the  thickets,  and  around  their  edges.  We  had  gone 
only  a  few  hundred  paces  further,  when  the  hollow  whistle  of 
a  buck  sounded  in  our  ears. 

"  Now,'  muttered  Dick, '  we  have  him.  Squat  down,  master, 
under  the  bush — so.7 

"  I  did  as  desired,  hiding  myself  under  the  leafy  branches  of 
the  wild  rose-trees.  My  companion  cowered  down  beside  me  in 
such  an  attitude  that  he  himself  was  concealed,  while  the  buck's 
head  and  antlers  were  held  above  the  foliage,  and  visible  from 
several  points  where  the  ground  was  open. 

"  As  soon  as  we  were  fairly  placed,  Dick  applied  Ihe  call  to 
his  lips,  and  blew  his  mimic  note  several  times  in  succession. 
We  heard  what  appeared  to  be  an  echo,  but  it  was  the  response 
of  a  rival  ;  and  shortly  after  we  could  distinguish  a  hoof-stroke 
upon  the  dry  turf,  as  if  some  animal  was  bounding  toward 
us. 

"  Presently  appeared  a  fine  buck,  at  an  opening  between  two 
copses,  about  one  hundred  paces  from  the  spot  where  we  lay. 
It  had  halted,  thrown  back  upon  its  flanks  until  its  haunches 


206  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

almost  touched  the  ground,  while  its  full  large  eye  glanced  over 
the  opening,  as  if  searching  for  some  object. 

"  At  this  moment  Dick  applied  the  reed  to  his  lips,  at  the 
same  time  moving  the  horns  backward  and  forward,  in  imitation 
of  a  buck  moving  his  head  in  a  threatening  manner. 

"The  stranger  now  perceived  what  appeared  to  him' the 
branching  horns  of  a  rival,  hearing,  at  the  same  time,  the  well- 
known  challenge.  This  was  not  to  be  borne,  and  rising  erect 
on  all-fours,  with  his  brow  antlers  set  forward,  he  accepted  the 
challenge,  and  came  bounding  forward. 

"  At  the  distance  of  twenty  paces  or  so,  he  again  halted,  as 
if  still  uncertain  of  the  character  of  his  enemy  ;  but  that  halt 
was  fatal  to  him,  for  by  Dick's  directions  I  had  made  ready  my 
rifle,  and  taking  sight  at  'his  breast,  I  pulled  trigger.  The 
result  was  as  my  companion  had  predicted,  and  the  buck  was 
'  rubbed  out.' 

"  After  skinning  our  game,  and  hanging  the  meat  out  of 
reach  of  barking  wolves,  we  proceeded  as  before  ;  and  soon 
after  another  buck  was  slain  in  a  manner  very  similar  to  that 
described. 

"  This  ended  our  day's  hunt,  as  it  was  late  before  Dick  had 
bethought  him  of  the  decoy  ;  and  taking  the  best  parts  of  both 
the  long-tails  upon  our  shoulders,  we  trudged  homeward  to  the 
post.  » 

"  Part  of  our  road,  as  we  returned,  lay  along  the  stream,  and 
we  saw  several  deer  approaching  the  water,  but  cumbered  as  we 
were,  we  failed  in  getting  a  shot.  An  idea,  however,  was  sug 
gested  to  my  companion  that  promised  us  plenty  of  both  sport 
and  venison  for  the  next  hunt — which  was  to  take  place  by  night. 

"  This  idea  he  communicated  to  me  for  my  approval.  I 
readily  gave  my  consent,  as  I  saw  in  the  proposal  the  chances 
of  enjoying  a  very  rare  sport.  That  spcrt  was  to  be  a  fire-hunt  • 
but  not  as  usually  practised  by  backwoodsmen,  by  carrying  a 


DEER   HUNT   IN   A    "  miG-OUT."  207 

torch  through  the  woods.  Our  torch  was  to  float  upon  the 
water,  while  we  were  snugly  seated  beside -it  ;  in  other  words, 
we  would  carry  our  torch  in  a  canoe,  and  floating  down  stream, 
would  shoot  the  deer  that  happened  to  be  upon  the  banks  drink 
ing  or  cooling  their  hoofs  in  the  water.  I  had  heard  of  the  plan, 
but  had  never  practised  it,  although  I  was  desirous  of  so  doing. 
Dick  had  often  killed  deer  in  this  way,  and  therefore  knew  all 
about  it.  It  was  agreed,  then,  that  upon  the  following  night 
we  should  try  the  experiment. 

"  During  the  next  day,  Dick  and  I  proceeded  in  our  prepara* 
tions  without  saying  anything  to  any  one.  It  was  our  design 
to  keep  our  night  hunt  a  secret,  lest  we  might  be  unsuccessful, 
and  get  laughed  at  for  our  pains.  On  the  other  hand,  should 
we  succeed  in  killing  a  goodly  number  of  long-tails,  it  \\^ald  be 
time  enough  to  let  it  be  known  how  we  had  managed  matters. 

"  We  had  little  difficulty  in  keeping  our  designs  to  ourselves. 
Every  one  was  busy  with  his  own  affairs,  and  took  no  heed  of 
our  manoeuvres. 

"Our  chief  difficulty  lay  in  procuring  a  boat  ;  but  for  the 
consideration  of  a  few  loads  of  powder,  we  at  length  borrowed 
an  old  canoe  that  belonged  to  one  of  the  Flathead  Indians — a 
sort  of  hanger-on  of  the  post. 

"  This  craft  was  simply  a  log  of  the  cotton-wood,  rudely  hol 
lowed  out  by  means  of  an  axe,  and  slightly  rounded  at  the  ends 
to  produce  the  canoe-shape.  It  was  that  species  of  water  craft 
popularly  known  throughout  Western  America  as  a  '  dug  out,' 
a  phrase  that  explains  itself.  It  was  both  old  and  rickety,  but 
after  a  short  inspection,  Blue  Dick  declared  it  would  do  '  fust 
rate.' 

"  Our  next  move  was  to  prepare  a  torch.  For  this  we  had 
to  make  an  excursion  into  the  neighboring  hills,  where  we  found 
the  very  material  we  wanted — the  dry  knots  of  the  pitch-pine 
tree. 


208  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  A  large  segment  of  birch  bark  was  then  sought  for  and 
obtained,  and  our  implements  were  complete. 

"  At  twilight  all  was  ready,  and  stepping  into  our  dug-out, 
we  paddled  silently  down  stream. 

"As  soon  as  we  got  out  of  the  neighbourhood  of  the  post, 
we  lighted  our  torch.  This  was  placed  iu  a  large  fryingpan  out 
upon  the  bow,  and  was  in  reality  rather  a  fire  of  pine  knots  than 
a  torch.  It  blazed  up  brightly,  throwing  a  glare  over  the  sur 
face  of  the  stream,  and  reflecting  in  red  light  every  object  upon 
both  banks.  We,  on  the  other  hand,  were  completely  hidden 
from  view  by  means  of  the  birch-bark  screen,  which  stood  up 
between  us  and  the  torch. 

"  As  soon  as  we  were  fairly  under-way,  I  yielded  up  the  paddle 
to  Dick,  who  now  assigned  to  himself  the  double  office,  of 
guiding  the  dug-out  and  keeping  the  torch  trimmed.  I  was  to 
look  to  the  shooting  ;  so,  placing  my  trusty  rifle  across  my 
thighs,  I  sat  alternately  scanning  both  banks  as  we  glided  along. 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  romantic  effect  which  was  produced 
upon  my  mind  during  that  wild  excursion.  The  scenery  of  the 
river  upon  which  we  had  launched  our  craft  was  at  all  times  of 
a  picturesque  character  :  under  the  blaze  of  the  pine-wood — its 
trees  and  rocks  tinted  with  a  reddish  hue,  while  the  rippling 
flood  below  ran  like  molten  gold — the  effect  was  heightened  to 
a  degree  of  sublimity  which  could  not  have  failed  to  impress  the 
dullest  imagination.  It  was  the  autumn  season,  too,  and  the 
foliage,  which  had  not  yet  commenced  falling,  had  assumed  those 
rich  varied  tints  so  characteristic  of  the  American  sylva — vari 
ous  hues  of  green  arid  golden,  and  yellow  and  deep  red  were 
exhibited  upon  the  luxuriant  frondage  that  lined  the  banks  of 
the  stream,  and  here  and  there  drooped  like  embroidered  cur 
tains  down  to  the  water's  edge.  It  was  a  scene  of  that  wild 
beauty,  that  picturesque  sublimity,  which  carries  one  to  the  con 
templation  of  its  Creator. 


DEER   HUNT   IN    A    "  DUG-OUT."  209 

" '  Yonder  V  muttered  a  voice,  that  roured  me  from  my 
reverie.  It  was  Dick  who  spoke  ;  and  in  the  darK  shadow  of 
the  birch-bark  I  could  see  one  of  his  arms  extended,  and  point 
ing  to  the  right  bank. 

"  My  eyes  followed  the  direction  indicated  ;  they  soon  rested 
upon  two  small  ojects,  that  from  the  darker  background  of  the 
foliage,  appeared  bright  and  luminous.  These  objects  were 
round,  and  close  to  each  other  ;  and  at  a  glance  I  knew  lher~ 
to  be  the  eyes  of  some  animal,  reflecting  the  light  of  our  torch 

"  My  companion  whispered  me  that  they  we.™?  the  eyes  of  a 
deer.  I  took  sight  with  my  rifle,  aiming  as  nearly  as  I  could 
midway  between  the  luminous  spots.  I  pulled  trigger,  and  my 
true  piece  cracked  like  a  whip. 

"  The  report  was  not  loud  enough  to  drown  the  noises  that 
came  back  from  the  shore.  There  was  a  rustling  of  leaves,  fol 
lowed  by  a  plunge,  as  of  some  body  falling  into  the  water. 

"  Dick  turned  the  head  of  the  dug-out,  and  paddled  her  up  to 
the  bank.  The  torch,  blazing;  brightly,  lit  up  the  scene  ahead  of 
us,  and  our  eyes  were  gratified  by  the  sight  of  a  fine  buck,  that 
had  fallen  dead  into  the  river.  He  was  about  being  drawn  into 
the  eddy  of  the  current,  but  Dick  prevented  this,  and,  seizing 
him  by  the  antlers,  soon  deposited  him  safely  in  the  bottom  of 
the  dug-out. 

"  Our  craft  was  once  more  headed  down  the  stream,  and  we 
scrutinised  every  winding  of  the  banks  in  search  of  another  pair 
of  gleaming  eyes.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  these  appeared, 
and  we  succeeded  in  killing  a  second  long-tail — a  doe — and 
dragged  her  also  into  the  boat. 

"  Shortly  after,  a  third  was  knocked  over,  which  we  found 
standing  out  in  the  river  upon  a  small  point  of  sand.  This 
prayed  to  be  a  young  spike-buck,  his  horns  not  having  as  yet 
Dranciied  off  into  antlers. 

11  About  a  quarter  of  a  mile  farther  down,  a  fourth  deer  was 


210  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

shot  at,  and  missed,  the  dug-out  having  grazed  suddenly  against 
a  rock  just  as  I  was  pulling  trigger,  thus  rendering  my  aim 
unsteady. 

*•  1  need  hardly  say  that  this  sport  was  extremely  exciting ; 
and  we  had  got  many  miles  from  the  post,  without  thinking 
either  of  the  distance  or  the  fact  that  we  should  be  under  the 
disagreeable  necessity  of  paddling  the  old  Flathead's  canoe  every 
inch  of  the  way  back  again.  Down  stream  it  was  all  plain 
sailing  ;  and  Dick's  duty  was  light  enough,  as  it  consisted  merely 
in  keeping  the  dug-out  head  foremost  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 
The  current  ran  at  the  rate  of  three  miles  an  hour,  and  therefore 
drifted  us  along  with  sufficient  rapidity. 

"The  first  thing  that  suggested  a  return  to  either  of  us,  was 
the  fact  tbat  our  pine-knots  had  run  out :  Dick  had  just  piled 
the  last  of  them  in  the  frying-pan. 

"  At  this  moment,  a  noise  sounded  in  our  ears  that  caused  us 
some  feelings  of  alarm  :  it  was  the  noise  of  falling  water.  It 
was  not  new  to  us,  for,  since  leaving  the  post,  we  had  passed  the 
mouths  of  several  small  streams,  that  debouched  into  the  one 
upon  which  we  were,  in  most  cases  over  a  jumble  of  rocks,  thus 
forming  a  series  of  noisy  rapids.  But  that  which  we  now  heard 
was  directly  ahead  of  us,  and  must,  thought  we,  be  a  rapid  or 
fall  of  the  stream  itself ;  moreover,  it  sounded  louder  than  any 
we  had  hitherto  passed. 

"  We  lost  little  time  in  conjectures.  The  first  impulse  of  my 
companion,  upon  catching  the  sound,  was  to  stop  the  progress  of 
the  dug-out,  "which  in  a  few  seconds  he  succeeded  in  doing  ;  but 
by  this  time  our  torch  had  shown  us  that  there  was  a  sharp 
turning  in  the  river,  with  a  long  reach  of  smooth  water  below. 
The  cascade,  therefore,  could  not  be  in  our  stream,  but  in  some 
tributary  that  fell  into  it  near  the  bend. 

"  On  seeing  this,  Dick-  turned  his  paddle,  and  permitted  the 
dug-out  once  more  to  float  with  the  current. 


DEER   HUNT   IN    A    "DUG-OUT."  21] 

ts  The  next  moment  we  passed  the  mouth  of  a  good-sized  creek, 
whose  waters,  having  just  leaped  a  fall  of  several  feet,  ran  into 
the  river,  covered  with  white  froth  and  bubbles.  We  could  see 
the  fall  at  a  little  distance,  through  the  branches  of  the  trees  ; 
and  as  we  swept  on,  its  foaming  sheet  reflected  the  light  of  our 
torch  like  shining  metal. 

"  We  had  scarcely  passed  this  point,  when  my  attention  was 
attracted  by  a  pair  of  fiery  orbs  that  glistened  out  of  some 
low  bushes  upon  the  left  bank  of  the  river.  I  saw  that 
they  were  the  eyes  of  some  animal,  but  what  kind  of  animal  I 
could  not  guess.  I  knew  they  were  not  the  eyes  of  a  deer. 
Their  peculiar  scintillation,  their  lesser  size,  the  wide  space 
between  them — all  convinced  me  they  were  not  deer's  eyes. 
Moreover,  they  moved  at  times,  as  if  the  head  of  the  animal 
was  carried  about  in  irregular  circles.  This  is  never  the  case 
with  the  eyes  of  the  deer,  which  either  pass  hurriedly  from  point 
to  point  or  remain  with  a  fixed  and  steadfast  gaze. 

"I  knew,  therefore,  it  was  no  deer  ;  but  no  matter  what;  it 
was  some  wild  creature,  and  all  such  are  alike  the  game  of  the 
prairie-hunter. 

"  I  took  aim,  and  pulled  trigger.  While  doing  so,  I  heard 
the  wice  of  my  companion  warning  me,  as  I  thought,  not  to  fire. 
I  wondered  at  this  admonition,  but  it  was  then  too  late  to  heed 
it,  for  it  had  been  uttered  almost  simultaneously  with  the  report 
of  my  rifle. 

"  I  first  looked  to  the  bank,  to  witness  the  effect  of  my  shot. 
To  my  great  surprise,  the  eyes  were  still  there,  gleaming  from 
the  bushes  as  brightly  as  ever. 

"  Had  I  missed  my  aim  ?  It  is  true,  the  voice  of  my  compa 
nion  had  somewhat  disconcerted  me  ;  but  I  still  believed  that 
my  bullet  must  have  sped  truly,  as  it  had  been  delivered  with  a 
good  aim. 

"As  I  turned  to  Dick  for  an  explanation,  a  new  sound  fell 


212  THE    HUNTEHS*    FEAST. 

upon  my  ears  that  explained  all,  at  the  same  time  causing  me  no 
slight  feeling  of  alarm.  It  was  a  sound  not  unlike  that  some 
times  uttered  by  terrified  s\viue,  but  still  louder  and  more 
threatening.  I  knew  it  well — I  knew  it  was  the  snort  of  the 
grizzly  bear  ! 

"  Of  all  American  animals,  the  grizzly  bear  is  the  most  to  be 
dreaded.  Armed  or  unarmed,  man  is  no  match  for  him,  and 
even  the  courageous  hunter  of  these  parts  shuns  the  encounter. 
This  was  why  my  companion  had  admonished  me  not  to  fire.  I 
thought  I  had  missed  it  :  it  was  not  so.  My  bullet  had  hit  and 
stung  the  fierce  brute  to  madness  ;  and  a  quick  cracking  among 
the  bushes  was  immediately  followed  by  a  heavy  plunge  :  the 
b^ar  was  in  the  water  ! 

'*  '  Good  heavens,  he's  after  us  !'  cried  Dick  in  accents  of 
alarm,  at  the  same  time  propelling  the  dug-out  with  all  his 
might. 

"It  proved  true  enough  that  the  bear  was  after  us,  and  the 
very  first  plunge  had  brought  his  nose  almost  up  to  the  side  ot 
the  canoe.  However,  a  few  well-directed  strokes  of  the  paddle 
set  us  in  quick  motion,  and  we  were  soon  gliding  rapidly  down 
stream,  followed  by  the  enraged  animal,  that  every  now  and  then 
uttered  one  of  his  fierce  snorts. 

"  What  rendered  our  situation  a  terrible  one  was,  that  we 
could  not  now  see  the  bear,  nor  tell  how  far  he  might  be  from 
us.  All  to  the  rear  of  the  canoe  was  of  a  pitchy  darkness,  in 
consequence  of  the  screen  of  birch-bark.  No  object  could  be 
distinguished  in  that  direction,  and  it  was  only  by  hearing  him 
that  we  could  tell  he  was  still  some  yards  off.  The  snorts,  how 
ever,  were  more  or  less  distinct,  as  heard  amid  the  varying  roar 
of  the  waterfall  ;  and  sometimes  they  seemed  as  if  the  snout 
from  which  they  proceeded  was  close  up  to  our  stern. 

"  We  knew  that  if  he  once  laid  his  paw  upon  the  canoe,  we 
should  either  be  sank  or  compelled  to  leap  out  and  swim  for  it. 


DEER   HUNT   IN    A    "  DUG-OUT."  213 

We  knew,  moreover,  that  such  an  event  would  be  certain  death 
to  one  of  us  at  least. 

"  I  need  hardly  affirm,  that  my  companion  used  his  paddle 
with  all  the  energy  of  despair.  I  assisted  him  as  much  as  was 
in  my  power  with  the  butt-end  of  my  gun,  which  was  now 
empty.  On  account  of  the  hurry  and  darkness,  I  had  not 
attempted  to  reload  it. 

"  We  had  shot  down  stream  for  a  hundred  yards  or  so, 
and  were  about  congratulating  ourselves  on  the  prospect  of  an 
escape  from  the  bear,  when  a  new  object  of  dread  presented 
itself  to  our  terrified  imaginations.  This  object  was  the  sound 
of  falling  water  ;  but  not  as  before,  coming  from  some  tributary 
stream.  No.  It  was  a  fall  of  the  river  upon  which  we  were 
floating,  and  evidently  only  a  very  short  distance  below  us  ! 

"  We  were,  in  fact,  within  less  than  one  hundred  yards  of  it. 
Our  excitement,  in  consequence  of  being  pursued  by  the  bear, 
as  well  as  the  fact  that  the  sough  of  the  cascade  above  still 
filled  our  ears,  had  prevented  us  from  perceiving  this  new 
danger  until  we  had  approached  it. 

"  A  shout  of  terror  and  warning  from  my  companion  seemed 
the  echo  of  one  I  had  myself  uttered.  Both  of  us  understood 
the  peril  of  our  situation,  and  both,  without  speaking  another 
word,  set  about  attempting  to  stop  the  boat. 

"  We  paddled  with  all  our  strength — he  with  the  oar,  whilst 
I  used  the  flat  butt  of  my  rifle.  We  had  succeeded  in  bringing 
her  to  a  sort  of  equilibrium,  and  were  in  hopes  of  being  able  to 
force  her  toward  the  bank,  when  all  at  once  we  heard  a  heavy 
object  strike  against  the  stern.  At  the  same  moment,  the  bow 
rose  up  into  the  air,  and  a  number  of  the  burning  pine-knots  fell 
back  into  the  bottom  of  the  canoe.  They  still  continued  to 
blaze  ;  and  their  light  now  falling  towards  the  stern,  showed  us 
a  fearful  object.  The  bear  had  seized  hold  of  the  dug-out,  and 
his  fierce  head  and  long  curving  claws  were  visible  over  the 
edge? 


214  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  Although  the  little  craft  danced  about  upon  the  water,  and 
was  likely  to  be  turned  keel  upward,  the  animal  showed  no  inten 
tion  of  relaxing  its  hold  ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  seemed  every 
moment  mounting  higher  in  the  canoe. 

"  Our  peril  was  now  extreme.  We  knew  it,  and  the  knowledge 
half  paralysed  us. 

"  Both  of  us  started  up,  and  for  some  moments,  half-sat,  half- 
crouched,  uncertain  how  to  act.  Should  we  use  the  paddles,  and 
get  the  canoe  ashore,  it  would  only  be  to  throw  ourselves  into 
the  jaws  of  the  bear.  On  the  other  hand,  we  could  not  remain 
as  we  were,  for  in  a  few  seconds  we  should  be  drifted  over  the 
falls;  and  how  high  these  were  we  knew  not.  We  had  never 
heard  of  them  :  they  might  be  fifty  feet — they  might  be  a  hun 
dred  !  High  enough,  they  were,  no  doubt,  to  precipitate  us 
into  eternity. 

"  The  prospect  was  appalling,  and  our  thoughts  ran  rapidly. 
Quick  action  was  required.  I  could  think  of  no  other  than  to 
lean  sternward,  and  strike  at  the  bear  with  my  clubbed  rifle,  at 
the  same  time  calling  upon  my  companion  to  paddle  for  the  shore. 
We  preferred,  under  all  circumstances,  risking  the  chances  of  a 
laud  encounter  with  our  grizzly  antagonist. 

*'  I  had  succeeded  in  keeping  the  bear  out  of  the  canoe  by 
several  well-planted  blows  upon  the  snout;  and  Dick  was  equally 
successful  in  forcing  the  dug-out  nearer  to  the  bank,  when  a  sharp 
crack  reached  my  ears,  followed  by  a  terrified  cry  from  my  com 
panion. 

"  I  glanced  suddenly  round,  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  these 
demonstrations.  Dick  held  in  his  hands  a  short  round  stick, 
which  I  recognized  as  the  shaft  of  the  paddle.  The  blade  had 
snapped  off,  and  was  floating  away  on  the  surface  ! 

"We  were  now  helpless.  The  manege  of  the  canoe  was  no 
longer  possible.  Over  the  falls  she  must  go  ! 

"  We  thought  of  leaping  out,  but  it  was  too  late.  We  were 
almost  upon  the  edge,  and  the  black  current  that  bore  our  craft 


Ill 


DEER    HUNT    IN    A    "DUG-OUT."  215 

swiftly  along,  would  have  carried  our  bodies  with  like  velocity. 
We  could  not  make  a  dozen  strokes  before  we  should  be  swept 
to  the  brink  :  it  was  too  late. 

"  We  both  saw  this;  and  each  knew  the  feelings  of  the  other, 
for  we  felt  alike.  Neither  spoke ;  but,  crouching  down  and 
holding  the  gunwales  of  the  canoe,  we  awaited  the  awful 
moment. 

"  The  bear  seemed  to  have  some  apprehension  as  well  as  our 
selves  ;  for,  instead  of  continuing  his  endeavours  to  climb  into 
the  canoe,  he  contented  himself  with  holding  fast  to  the  stern, 
evidently  under  some  alarm. 

"  The  torch  still  blazed,  and  the  canoe  was  catching  fire  ; 
perhaps  this  it  was  that  alarmed  the  bear. 

The  last  circumstance  gave  us  at  the  moment  but  little  con 
cern  ;  the  greater  danger  eclipsed  the  less.  We  had  hardly 
noticed  it,  when  we  felt  we  were  going  over ! 

11  The  canoe  shot  outward  as  if  propelled  by  some  projectile 
force  ;  then  came  a  loud  crash,  as  though  we  had  dropped  upon 
a  hard  rock.  Water,  and  spray,  and  froth  were  dashed  over 
our  bodies  ;  and  the  next  moment,  to  our  surprise  as  well  as 
delight,  we  felt  ourselves  still  alive,  and  seated  in  the  canoe, 
which  was  floating  gently  in  still  smooth  water. 

*'  It  was  quite  dark,  for  the  torch  had  been  extinguished  ; 
but  even  in  the  darkness,  we  could  perceive  the  bear  swimming 
and  floundering  near  the  boat.  To  our  great  satisfaction,  we 
saw  him  heading  for  the  shore,  and  widening  the  distance 
between  himself  and  us  with  all  the  haste  he  could  make.  The 
unexpected  precipitation  over  the  falls  had  cooled  his  courage, 
if  not  his  hostility. 

"  Dick  and  I  headed  the  canoe,  now  half  full  of  water,  for 
the  opposite  bank,  which  we  contrived  to  reach  by  using  the 
rifle  and  our  hands  for  paddles.  Here  we  made  the  little  vessel 
fast  to  a  tree,  intending  to  leave  it  there,  as  we  could  not  by 


216  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

any  possibility  get  it  back  over  the  fall.  Having  hung  our 
game  out  of  reach  of  the  wolves,  we  turned  our  faces  up  stream 
and,  after  a  long  and  wearisome  walk,  succeeded  in  getting  back 
to  the  post. 

"  Next  morning,  a  party  went  down  for  the  venison,  with  the 
intention  also  of  carrying  the  canoe  back  over  the  fall.  The 
craft,  however,  was  found  to  be  so  much  injured,  that  it  would 
not  hang  together  during  the  portage,  aiKLwas  therefore  aban 
doned.  This  was  no  pleasant  matter  to  me,  for  it  afterwards 
cost  me  a  considerable  sum  before  I  could  square  with  the  old 
Flathead  for  his  worthless  dug-out." 


CHAPTER  XXY. 

OLD     IKE    AND     THE     GRIZZLY. 

A >s  adventure  ending  in  a  grizzly  bear  story,  drew  the 

ionversation  upon  that  celebrated  animal,  and  we  listened  to  the 
many  curious  facts  related  about  it,  with  more  than  usual  interest. 

The  grizzly  bear  ( Ursus  ferox)  is,  beyond  all  question,  the 
most  formidable  of  the  wild  creatures  inhabiting  the  continent 
of  America — jaguar  arid  cougar  not  excepted.  Did  he  possess 
the  swiftness  of  foot  of  either  the  lion,  or  tiger  of  the  Old 
World,  he  would  be  an  assailant  as  dangerous  as  either  ;  for  he 
is  endowed  with  the  strength  of  the  former,  and  quite  equals 
the  latter  in  ferocity.  Fortunately,  the  horse  outruns  him; 
were  it  not  so,  many  a  human  victim  would  be  his,  for  he  can 
easily  overtake  a  man  on  foot.  As  it  is,  hundreds  of  well- 
authenticated  stories  attest  the  prowesg  of  this  fierce  creature. 
There  is  not  a  "  mountain  man  "  in  America,  who  cannot  relate 


OLD   IKE   AND   THE    GRIZZLY.  21 1 

a  string  of  perilous  adventures  about  the  "  grizzly  bar  ;"  and 
the  instances  are  far  from  being  few,  in  which  human  life  has 
been  sacrificed  in  conflicts  with  this  savage  boast. 

The  grizzly  bear  is  an  animal  of  large  dimensions  :  specimens 
have  been  killed  and  measured  quite  equal  to  the  largest  size  of 
the  polar  bear,  though  there  is  much  variety  in  the  sizes  of 
different  individuals.  About  500  Ibs.  might  be  taken  as  the 
average  weight. 

In  shape,  the  grizzly  bear  is  a  much  more  compact  animal 
than  either  the  black  or  polar  species  :  his  ears  are  larger,  his 
arms  stouter,  and  his  aspect  fiercer.  His  teeth  are  sharp  and 
strong  ;  but  that  which  his  enemies  most  dread  is  the  armature 
of  his  paws.  The  paws  themselves  are  so  large,  as  frequently 
to  leave  in  the  mud  a  track  of  twelve  inches  in  length,  by  eight 
in  breadth  ;  and  from  the  extremities  of  these  formidable  fists 
protrude  horn-like  claws  full  six  inches  long  !  Of  course  we  are 
speaking  of  individuals  of  the  largest  size. 

These  claws  are  crescent-shaped,  and  would  be  still  longer,  but 
in  all  cases  nearly  an  inch  is  worn  from  their  points. 

The  animal  digs  up  the  ground  in  search  of  marmots,  bur 
rowing  squirrels,  and  various  esculent  roots  ;  and  this  -habit 
accounts  for  the  blunted  condition  of  his  claws.  They  are  sharp 
enough,  notwithstanding,  to  peel  the  hide  from  a  horse  or  buf 
falo,  or  to  drag  the  scalp  from  a  hunter — a  feat  that  has  been 
performed  by  grizzly  bears  on  more  than  one  occasion. 

The  colour  of  this  animal  is  most  generally  brownish,  with 
white  hairs  intermixed,  giving  that  greyish  or  grizzled  appear 
ance — whence  the  trivial  name,  grizzly.  But  although  this  is 
the  most  common  colour  of  the  species,  there  are  many  varieties. 
Some  are  almost  white,  others  yellowish  red,  and  still  others 
nearly  black.  The  season,  too,  has  much  to  do  with  the  colour; 
and  the  pelage  is  shaggier  and  longer  than  that  of  the  Ursus 
Americanus.  The  eyes  are  small  in  proportion  to  the  size  of  the 
animal,  but  dark  and  piercing. 

10 


218 

The  geographical  range  of  the  grizzly  bear  is  extensive.  It  is 
well  known  that  the  great  chain  of  the  Rocky  Mountains  com 
mences  on  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Ocean,  and  runs  southwardly 
through  the  North  American  continent.  In  these  mountains, 
the  grizzly  bear  is  found,  from  their  northern  extremity,  at  least 
as  far  as  that  point  where  the  Rio  Grande  makes  its  great  bend 
towards  the  Gulf  of  Mexico. 

In  the  United  States  and  Canada,  this  animal  has  never  been 
seen  in  a  wild  state.  This- is  not  strange.  The  grizzly  bear  has 
no  affinity  with  the  forest.  Previous  to  the  settling  of  these  ter 
ritories,  they  were  all  forest-covered.  The  grizzly  is  rarely  found 
under  heavy  timber,  like  his  congener  the  black  bear  ;  and  unlike 
the  latter,  he  is  not  a  tree-climber.  The  black  bear  "hugs" 
himself  up  a  tree,  and  usually  destroys  his  viotim  by  compression. 
The  grizzly  does  not  possess  this  power,  so  as  to  enable  him  to 
ascend  a  tree-trunk  ;  and  for  such  a  purpose,  his  huge  dull  claws 
are  worse  than  useless.  His  favourite  haunts  are  the  thickets  of 
Corylus  rubus,  and  Amelanckiers,  under  the  shade  of  which  he 
makes  his  lair,  and  upon  the  berries  of  which  he  partially  sub 
sists.  He  lives  much  by  the  banks  of  streams,  hunting  among 
the  willows,  or  wanders  along  the  steep  and  rugged  bluffs,  where 
scrubby  pine  and  dwarf  cedar  (Jwniperus  prostrata),  with  its 
rooting  branches,  forms  an  almost  impenetrable  underwood.  In 
short,  the  grizzly  bear  of  America  is  to  be  met  with  in  situations 
very  similar  to  those  which  are  the  favourite  haunts  of  the 
African  lion,  which,  after  all,  is  not  so  much  the  king  of  the  for 
est,  as  of  the  mountain  and  the  open  plain. 

The  grizzly  bear  is  omnivorous.  Fish,  flesh,  and  fowl  are  eaten 
by  him  apparently  with  equal  relish.  He  devours  frogs,  lizards, 
and  other  reptiles. 

He  is  fond  of  the  larvse  of  insects  ;  these  are  often  found  in 
large  quantities  adhering  to  the  under  sides  of  decayed  logs. 
To  get  at  them,  the  grizzly  bear  will  roll  over  logs  of  such  size 
and  weight,  as  would  try  the  strength  of  a  yoke  of  oxen. 


OLD   IKE   AND   THE   GRIZZLY.  219 

He  can  "root "  like  a  hog,  and  will  often  plough  up  acres  of 
prairie  in  search  of  the  wapatoo  and  Indian  turnip.  Like  the 
black  bear,  he  is  fond  of  sweets  ;  and  the  wild-berries,  consist 
ing  of  many  species  of  currant,  gooseberry,  and  service  berry, 
are  greedily  gathered  into  his  capacious  maw. 

He  is  too  slow  of  foot  to  overtake  either  the  buffalo,  elk,  or 
deer,  though  he  sometimes  comes  upon  these  creatures  unawares; 
and  he  will  drag  the  largest  buffalo  to  the  earth,  if  he  can  only 
get  his  claws  upon  it. 

Not,  unfrequently  he  robs  the  panther  of  his  repast,  and  will 
drive  a  whole  pack  of  wolves  from  the  carrion  they  have  just 
succeeded  in  killing. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  raise  the  young  grizzlies, 
but  these  have  been  all  abortive,  the  animals  proving  anything 
but  agreeable  pets.  As  soon  as  grown  to  a  considerable  size, 
their  natural  ferocity  displays  itself,  and  their  dangerous  quali 
ties  usually  lead  to  the  necessity  for  their  destruction. 

For  a  long  time  the  great  polar  bear  has  been  the  most  cele 
brated  animal  of  his  kind  ;  and  most  of  the  bear  adventures 
have  related  to  him.  Many  a  wondrous  tale  of  his  prowess 
and  ferocity  has  been  told  by  the  whaler  and  arctic  voyager, 
in  which  this  creature  figures  as  the  hero.  His  fame,  however, 
is  likely  to  be  eclipsed  by  his  hitherto  less  known  congener — the 
grizzly.  The  golden  lure  which  has  drawn  half  the  world  to 
California,  has  also  been  the  means  of  bringing  this  fierce  animal 
more  into  notice  ;  for  the  mountain-valleys  of  the  Sierra  Nevada 
are  a  favourite  range  for  this  species.  Besides,  numerous  "  bear- 
scrapes  "  have  occurred  to  the  migrating  bands  who  have  crossed 
the  great  plains  and  desert  tracts  that  stretch  from  the  Missis 
sippi  to  the  shores  of  the  South  Sea.  Hundreds  of  stories  of 
this  animal,  more  or  less  true,  have  of  late  attained  circulation 
through  the  columns  of  the  press  and  the  pages  of  the  traveller's 
note-book,  until  the  grizzly  bear  is  becoming  almost  as  much  an 


220  THE   HUNTERS*   FfcAST. 

object  of  interest  as  the  elephant,  the  hippopotamus,  or  the  king 
of  the  beasts  himself. 

Speaking  seriously,  he  is  a  dangerous  assailant.  White  hunt 
ers  never  attack  him  unless  when  mounted  and  well  armed ;  and 
the  Indians  consider  the  killing  a  grizzly  bear  a  feat  equal  to 
the  scalping  of  a  human  foe.  These  never  attempt  to  hunt  him, 
unless  when  a  large  party  is  together  ;  and  the  hunt  is,  among 
some  tribes,  preceded  by  a  ceremonious  feast  and  a  bear- 
dance. 

It  is  often  the  lot  of  the  solitary  trapper  to  meet  with  this 
four-footed  enemy,  and  the  encounter  is  rated  as  equal  to  that 
with  two  hostile  Indians. 

Of  course,  both  Redwood  and  Ike  had  met  with  more  than 
one  "  bar  scrape,"  and  the  latter  was  induced  to  relate  one  of 
his  best. 

*'  Strengers,"  began  he,  "when  you  scare  up  a  grizzly,  take 
my  advice,  and  gie  'im  a  wide  berth — that  is,  unless  yur  unkim- 
mun  well  mounted.  Ov  coorse,  ef  yur  critter  kin  be  depended 
upon,  an'  thur's  no  brush  to  'tangle  him,  yur  safe  enuf ;  as  no 
grizzly,  as  ever  I  seed,  kin  catch  up  wi'  a  hoss,  whur  the  ground's 
open  an'  clur.  F'r  all  that,  whur  the  timmer's  clost  an'  brushy, 
an'  the  ground  o'  that  sort  whur  a  hoss  mout  stummel,  it  are 
allers  the  safest  plan  to  let  ole  Eph'm  slide.  I've  seed  a  grizzly 
pull  down  as  good  a  hoss  as  ever  tracked  a  parairy,  whur  the 
critter  hed  got  botherd  in  a  thicket.  The  fellur  that  straddled 
him  only  saved  himself  by  hoekin'  on  to  the  limb  o'  a  tree. 
'Twant  two  minnits  afore  this  child  kirn  up — hearin'  the  rum 
pus.  I  hed  good  sight  o'  the  bar,  and  sent  a  bullet  — sixty  to 
the  pound — into  the  varmint's  brain-pan,  when  he  immediately 
cawalloped  over.  But  'twur  too  late  to  save  the  hoss.  He  wur 
rubbed  out.  The  bar  had  half  skinned  him,  an'  wur  tarrin  at 
his  guts  1  Wagh  I" 

Here  the  trapper  unsheathed  his  clasp-knife,  and  having  cut  a 


OLD   IKE   AND   THE   GRIZZLY.  221 

"  chunk  "  from  a  plug  of  real  "  Jeemees's  River,"  stuck  it  into 
his  cheek,  and  proceeded  with  his  narration. 

"I  reck'n,  I've  seed  a  putty  consid'able  o'the  grizzly  bar  in 
my  time.  If  them  thur  chaps  who  writes  about  all  sort  o'  var 
mint,  had  seed  as  much  o'  the  grizzly  as  I  hev,  they  mout  a  gin 
a  hul  book  consarnin1  the  critter.  Ef  I  hed  a  plug  o'  bacca  for 
every  grizzly  I've  rub'd  out,  it  'ud  keep  my  jaws  waggin'  for  a 
good  twel'month,  I  reck'n.  Ye — es,  strangers,  I've  done  some 
bar-killin' — I  hev  that,  an'  no  mistake.  Haint  I,  Mark  ? 

"  Wai,  I  wur  a  gwine  to  tell  you  ov  a  sarcumstance  that  hap 
pened  to  this  child  about  two  yeern  ago.  It  wur  upon  the 
Platte,  atween  Chimbly  Rock  an'  Larainies'. 

"  I  wur  engaged  as  hunter  an'  guide  to  a  carry  van  o'  emi 
grant  folk  that  wur  on  thur  way  to  Oregon. 

"  Ov  coorse  I  allers  kept  a-head  o'  the  carry  van  an  picked  the 
place  for  thur  camp. 

"  Wai,  one  afternoon  I  hed  halted  whur  I  seed  some  timmer, 
which  ur  a  scace  article  about  Chimbly  Rock.  This,  thort  I,  'II 
do  for  campin'-ground  ;  so  I  got  down,  pulled  the  saddle  off  o' 
my  ole  mar,  an  staked  the  critter  upon  the  best  patch  o'  grasj 
that  wur  near,  intendin'  she  shed  hev  her  gutfull  afore  the  camp 
cattle  kim  up  to  bother  her. 

"  I  hed  shot  a  black-tail  buck,  an'  after  kindlin'  a  fire,  I 
roasted  a  griskin'  o'  him,  an'  ate  it. 

"  Still  thur  wan't  no  sign  o'  the  carry  van,  an'  after  hangin1 
the  buck  out  o'  reach  o'  the  wolves,  I  tuk  up  my  rifle,  an'  set 
out  to  rackynoiter  the  neighbourhood. 

"  My  mar  bein'  some'at  jaded,  I  let  her  graze  away,  an'  went 
afoot :  an'  that,  let  me  tell  you,  strengers,  ar  about  the  foolichest 
thing  you  kin  do  upon  a  parairy.  I  wan't  long  afore  I  proved 
it,  b»it  I'll  kum  to  that  by'm  by. 

"  Wai,  I  fust  clomb  a  conside'able  hill,  that  gin  me  a  vie^ 
beyont.  Thur  wur  a  good-sized  parairy  layin'  torst  the  soutl 


222  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

an*  west.  Thur  war  no  trees  'ceptin'  an  old  cottonwood  hyur 
an'  thur  on  the  hillside. 

"About  a  mile  off  I  seed  a  flock  of  goats — what  you'd 
call  antelopes,  though  goats  they  ur,  as  sure  as  goats  is 
goats. 

"  Thur  waunt  no  kiver  near  them — not  a  stick,  for  the  parairy 
wur  as  bar  as  yur  hand  ;  so  I  seed,  at  a  glimp,  it  'ud  be  no  use 
a  try  in*  to  approach,  unless  I  tuk  some  plan  to  decoy  the 
critters. 

"  I  soon  thort  o'  a  dodge,  an'  went  back  to  camp  for  my 
blanket,  which  wur  a  red  Mackinaw.  This  I  knew  'ud  be  the 
Tery  thing  to  fool  the  goats  with,  an'  I  set  out  torst  them. 

"  For  the  fust  half-a-mile  or  so,  I  carried  the  blanket  under 
my  arm.  Then  I  spread  it  out,  an'  walked  behind  it  until  I  wur 
'ithiii  three  or  four  hundred  yards  o'  the  animals.  I  kept  my 
eye  on  'em  through  a  hole  in  the  blanket.  They  wur  a  growin' 
scary,  an'  bed  begun  to  run  about  in  circles  ;  so  when  I  seed 
this,  I  knew  it  wur  time  to  stop. 

"Wai,  I  hunkered  down,  an'  still  keepin'  the  blanket  spread 
out  afore  me,  I  hung  it  upon  a  saplin'  that  I  had  brought  from 
the  camp.  I  then  stuck  the  saplin'  upright  in  the  ground  ;  an' 
mind  ye,  it  wan't  so  easy  to  do  that,  for  the  parairy  wur  hard 
friz,  an'  I  hed  to  dig  a  hole  wi'  my  knife.  Howsomdever,  I  got 
the  thing  rigged  at  last,  an'  the  blanket  hangiu'  up  in  front 
kivered  my  karkidge  most  complete.  I  hed  nothin'  more  to  do 
but  wait  till  the  goats  shed  come  'ithin  range  of  my  shootin'- 
iron. 

"  Wai,  that  wan't  long.  As  ye  all  know,  them  goats  is  a 
mighty  curious  animal — as  curious  as  weemen  is — an'  after 
runniu'  backward  an'  forrard  a  bit,  an'  tossin'  up  thur  heads,  an' 
sniffin'  the  air,  one  o'  the  fattest,  a  young  prong-horn  buck, 
trotted  up  'ithiu  fifty  yards  o'  me. 

"  I  jest  squinted  through  the  sights,  an'  afore  that  goat  hed 


t 


OLD   IKE    AND   THE   GRIZZLY.  223 

time  to  wink  twice,  I  hit  him  plum  atween  the  eyes.  Ov  coorse 
he  wur  thro  wed  in  his  tracks. 

"  Now,  you'd  a  jumped  up,  an'  frightened  the  rest  away — 
that's  what  you'd  a  done,  strengers.  But  you  see  I  knowed 
better.  I  knowed  that  so  long's  the  critters  didn't  see  my 
karkidge,  they  wan't  a  gwine  to  mind  the  crack  o'  the  gun.  So 
I  laid  still,  in  behopes  to  git  a  wheen  more  o'  them. 

"As  I  hed  calc'lated  at  fust,  they  didn't  run  away,  an'  1 
slipped  in  my  charge  as  brisk  as  possible.  But  jest  as  I  wur 
raisin'  to  take  sight  on  a  doe  that  hed  got  near  enough,  the  hull 
gang  tuk  scare,  an'  broke  off  as  ef  a  pack  of  parairy  wolves 
wur  arter  'em. 

"  I  wur  clean  puzzled  at  this,  for  I  knowed  I  hedn't  done 
anythin'  to  frighten  'em,  but  I  wan't  long  afore  I  diskivered  the 
cause  o'  thur  alarm.  Jest  then  I  heerd  a  snift,  like  the  coughin' 
o'  a  glandered  hoss  ;  an'  turnin'  suddintly  round,  I  spied  the 
biggest  bar  it  hed  ever  been  my  luck  to  set  eyes  on.  He  wur 
comin'  direct  torst  me,  an'  at  that  rninnit  wan't  over  twenty 
yards  from  whur  I  lay.  I  knowed  at  a  glimp  he  wur  a  grizzly  I 

"  'Tain't  no  use  to  say  I  wan't  skeart ;  I  wur  skeart,  an' 
mighty  bad  skeart,  I  tell  ye. 

"  At  fust,  I  thort  o'  jumpin'  to  my  feet,  an;  makin'  tracks  ; 
but  a  minnit  o'  reflexshun  showed  me  that  'ud  be  o'  little  use. 
Thur  wur  a  half  o'  mile  clur  parairy  on  every  side  o'  me,  an'  I 
knowd  the  grizzly  kud  catch  up  afore  I  hed  made  three  hundred 
yards  in  any  direction.  I  knowed,  too,  that  ef  I  started,  the 
varmint  'ud  be  sartin  to  foller.  It  wur  plain  to  see  the  bar 
meant  mischief  ;  I  kud  tell  that  from  the  glint  o'  his  eyes. 

"  Thur  wan-'t  no  time  to  lose  in  thinkin'  about  it.  The  brute 
wur  still  comin1  nearer  ;  but  I  noticed  that  he  wur  a  gwine 
slower  an'  slower,  every  now  an'  agin  risin'  to  his  hind-feet, 
clawin'  his  nose,  an'  sniffin'  the  air. 

"  I  seed  that  it  wur  the  red  blanket  that  puzzled  him  ;  an' 


224  THE   HUNTERS'"    FEAST. 

seem'  this,  I  crep'  closter  behint  it,  an'  cached  as  much  o'  my 
karkidge  as  it  'ud  kiver. 

"  When  the  bar  hed  got  'ithin  about  ten  yards  o'  the  spot,  he 
kim  to  a  full  stop,  an'  reared  up  as  he  hed  did  several  times, 
with  his  belly  full  torst  me.  The  sight  wur  too  much  for  this 
niggur,  who  never  afore  had  been  bullied  by  eyther  Injun  or  bar. 

"  'Twur  a  beautiful  shot,  an'  I  kudn't  help  tryin'  it.  ef  't  bed 
been  my  last  ;  so  I  poked  my  rifle  though  a  hole  in  the  blanket, 
a,n'  sent  a  bullet  atween  the  varmint's  ribs. 

"  That  wur,  perhaps,  the  foolichest  an'  wust  shot  this  child 
ever  made.  Hed  I  not  fired  it,  the  bar  mout  a  gone  off,  feard 
o'  the  blanket ;  but  I  did  fire,  an'  my  narves  bein'  excited,  I 
made  a  bad  shot. 

"  I  had  ta'en  sight  for  the  h$art,  an'  I  only  hit  the  varmint's 
shoulder. 

"  OY  coorse,  the  bar  bein'  now  wounded,  bekim  savage,  and 
cared  no  longer  for  the  blanket.  He  roared  out  like  a  bull, 
tore  at  the  place  whur  I  hed  hit  him,  an'  then  kim  on  as  fast  as 
his  four  legs  'ud  carry  him. 

"  Things  looked  squally.  I  throwed  away  my  emp'y  gun,  an> 
drawed  my  bowie,  expectin'  nothin'  else  than  a  regular  stand-up 
tussel  wi'  the  bar.  I  knowed  it  wur  no  use  turnin'  tail  now  ;  so 
I  braced  myself  up  for  a  desp'rate  fight. 

"  But  just  as  the  bar  hed  got  'ithin  ten  feet  o'  me,  an  idee 
suddintly  kim  into  my  head.  I  hed  been  to  Santa  Fe,  among 
them  yaller-hided  Mexikins,  whur  I  hed  seed  two  or  three  bull 
fights.  I  hed  seed  them  mattydoors  fling  thur  red  cloaks  over 
a  bull's  head,  just  when  you'd  a  thort  they  wur  a  gwine  to  be 
gored  to  pieces  on  the  fierce  critter's  horns. 

"  Jest  then,  I  remembered  "thur  trick  ;  an'  afore  the  bar  cud 
close  on  me,  I  grabbed  the  blanket,  spreadin'  it  out  as  I  tuk  holt. 

"  Strengers,  that  wur  a  blanket  an'  no  mistake  !  It  wur  as 
fine  a  five-point  Mackinaw  as  ever  kivered  the  hump-ribs  o'  a 


OLD   IKE   AND  THE    GRIZZLY.  225 

nor'-west  trader.  I  used  to  wear  it  Mexikin-fashun  when  it 
rained  ;  an'  in  coorse,  for  that  purpose,  thur  wur  a  hole  in  the 
middle  to  pass  the  head  through. 

"  Wai,  jest  as  the  bar  sprung  at  me,  I  flopped  the  blan'ket 
straight  in  his  face.  I  seed  his  snout  a  passin'  through  the  hole, 
but  I  seed  no  more  ;  for  I  feeled  the  critter's  claws  touchin'  me, 
an'  I  lot  go. 

"  Now,  thunk  I,  wur  my  time  for  a  run.  The  blanket  rnout 
blin'  him  a  leetle,  an'  I  mout  git  some  start. 

"  With  this  thort,  I  glid  past  the  animal's  rump,  an'  si  ruck 
out  over  the  parairy. 

"The  direction  happened  to  be  that  that  led  torst  the  c&mp, 
half  a  mile  off  ;  but  thur  wur  a  tree  nearer,  on  the  side  (/  the 
hill.  Ef  I  kud  reach  that,  I  knowd  I  'ud  be  safe  enuf,  as  the 
grizzly  bar  it  don't  climb. 

"  For  the  fust  hundred  yards  I  never  looked  round  ;  then  I 
only  squinted  back,  runniV  all  the  while. 

"  I  kud  jest  see  that  the  bar  appeared  to,  be  still  a  tossin'  the 
blanket,  and  not  fur  from  whur  we  hed  parted  kumpny. 

"  I  thort  this  sorne'at  odd  ;  but  I  didn't  stay  to  see  what  it 
meant  till  I  hed  put  another  hundred  yards  atween  us.  Then  I 
half  turned,  an'  tuk  a  good  look  ;  an'  if  you  believe  me, 
strengers,  the  sight  I  seed  thur  7ud  a  made  a  Mormon  larf. 
Although  jest  one  minuit  afore,  I  wur  putty  nigh  skeart  out  o' 
my  seven  senses,  that  sight  made  me  larf  till  I  wur  like  to  bring 
on  a  colic. 

"  Thur  wur  the  bar  wi'  his  head  right  athrough  the  blanket. 
One  minnit,  he  'ud  rear  up  on  his  hind-feet,  an'  then  the  thing 
hung  roun'  him  like  a  Mexikin  greaser.  The  next  minnit,  he 
'ud  be  down  on  all-fours,  an'  tryin'  to  foller  me  ;  an'  then  the 
Mackinaw  ;ud  trip  him  up,  an  over  he  'ud  whammel,  and  kick  to 
get  free — all  the  while  routin'  like  a  mad  buffalo.  Jehosophat  1 
it  wur  the  funniest  sight  this  child  ever  seed.  Wagh  I 

10* 


THE   HUXTERS7    FEAST. 

"Wai,  I  watched  the  game  awhile — only  a  leetle  while  ;  for 
I  knowed  that  if  the  bar  could  git  clur  o'  the  rag,  he  motit  still 
overtake  me,  an'  drive  me  to  the  tree.  That  I  didn't  wan't, 
eyther,  so  I  tuk  to 'my- heels  again,  and  soon  reached  camp. 

"Thur  I  saddled  my  mar,  and  then  rid  back  to  get  my  gun, 
an',  perhaps,  to  give  ole  Eph'm  a  fresh  taste  o'  lead. 

"  When  I  climbed  the  hill  again,  the  bar  wur  still  out  on  the 
parairy,  an'  I  cud  see  that  the  blanket  wur  a-hanging  around  'im. 
Howsomdever,  he  wur  makin'  off  torst  the  hills,  thinkin',  maybe, 
he'd  bed  enuf  o'  my  kumpny. 

"  I  wan't  a  gwine  to  let  'im  off  so  easy,  for  the  skear  he  hed 
'gin  me  ;  besides,  he  wur  traillin'  my  Mackinaw  along  wi'  'im. 
So  I  galluped  to  whur  my  gun  lay,  an'  havin'  rammed  home  a 
ball,  I  then  galluped  arter  ole  grizzly. 

"I  soon  overhauled  him,  an'  he  turned  on  me  as  savagerous 
as  ever.  But  this  time,  feeling  secure  on  the  mar's  back,  my 
narves  wur  steadier  ;  an'  I  shot  the  bar  plum  through  the  skull, 
which  thro  wed  him  in  his  tracks  wi'  the  blanket  wrapped  about 
;im. 

"  But  s-;ch  a  blanket  as  that  wur  then — ay,  sich  a  blanket  ! 
I  never  seed  sich  a  blanket !  Thur  wunt  a  square  foot  o'  it  that 
wan't  torn  to  raggles.  Ah,  strengers,  you  don't  know  what  it 
are  to  lose  a  five-point  Mackinaw  ;  no,  that  you  don't.  Cuss 
the  bar  1" 


A    BATTLE   WITH   GRIZZLY   BEARS.  221 


CHAPTER    XXYI. 

A   BATTLE    WITH   GRIZZLY    BEARS. 

AN  adventure  with  grizzly  bears  which  had  befallen  the 
"  captain  "  was  next  related.  He  had  been  travelling  with  a 
strange  party — the  "  scalp  hunters," — in  the  mountains  near 
Santa  Fe,  when  they  were  overtaken  by  a  sudden  and  heavy  fall 
of  snow  that  rendered  further  progress  impossible.  The  "canon," 
a  deep  valley  in  which  they  had  encamped,  was  difficult  to  get 
through  at  any  time,  but  now  the  path,  on  account  of  the  deep 
soft  snow,  was  rendered  impassable.  When  morning  broke  they 
found  themselves  fairly  "  in  the  trap." 

"  Above  and  below  the  valley  was  choked  with  snow  five 
fathoms  deep.  Yast  fissures — barrancas — were  filled  with  the 
drift ;  and  it  was  perilous  to  attempt  penetrating  in  either 
direction.  Two  men  had  already  disappeared. 

"  On  each  side  of  our  camp  rose  the  walls  of  the  canon,  almost 
vertical,  to  the  height  of  a  hundred  feet.  These  we  might  have 
climbed  had  the  weather  been  soft,  for  the  rock  was  a  trap  for 
mation,  and  offered  numerous  seams  and  ledges  ;  but  now  there 
was  a  coating  of  ice  and  snow  upon  them  that  rendered  the 
ascent  impossible.  The  ground  had  been  frozen  hard  before  the 
storm  came  on,  although  it  was  now  freezing  no  longer,  and  the 
snow  would  not  bear  our  weight.  All  our  efforts  to  get  out  of 
the  valley  proved  idle  ;  and  we  gave  them  over,  yielding  our 
selves,  in  a  kind  of  reckless  despair,  to  wait  for- — we  scarce 
knew  what. 

"  For  three  days  we  sat  shivering  around  the  fires,  now  and 


228 

then  casting  looks  of  gloomy  inquiry  around  the  sky.  The  same 
dull  grey  for  an  answer,  mottled  with  flakes  slanting  earthward, 
for  it  still  continued  ,to  snow.  Not  a  bright  spot  cheered  the 
aching  eye. 

"  The  little  platform  on  which  we  rested — a  piece  of  two  or 
three  acres — was  still  free  from  the  snow-drift,  on  account  of  its 
exposure  to  the  wind.  Straggling  pines,  stunted  and  leafless, 
grew  over  its  surface,  in  all  about  fifty  or  sixty  trees.  From 
these  we  obtained  our  fires  ;  but  what  were  fires  when  we  had 
no  meat  to  cook  upon  them  ?  ^  >-. 

"  We  were  now  in  the  third  day  without  food  !  Without 
food,  though  not  absolutely  without  eating — the  men  had  bolted 
their  gun-covers,  and  the  cat-skin  flaps  of  their  bullet-pouches, 
and  were  now  seen — the  last  shift  but  one — stripping  the 
parfleche  from  the  soles  of  their  moccasins  ! 

"  The  women,  wrapped  in  their  tilmas,  nestled  closely  in  the 
embrace  of  father,  brother,  husband,  and  Ipver';  for  all  these 
affections  were  present.  The  last  string  of  tasajo,  hitherto  econ 
omized  for  their  sake,  had  been  parcelled  out  to  them  in  the 
morning.  That  was  gone,  and  whence  was  their  next  morsel  to 
come  ?  At  long  intervals,  'Ay  de  mi  !  Dios  de  mi  alma  ! '  were 
heard  only  in  low  murmurs,  as  some  colder  blast  swept  down  the 
canon.  In  the  face  of  those  beautiful  creatures  might  be  read 
that  uncomplaining  patience — that  high  endurance — so  character 
istic  of  the  Hispano-Mexican  women. 

"  Even  the  stern  men  around  them  bore  up  with  less  fortitude. 
Rude  oaths  were  uttered  from  time  to  time,  and  teeth  ground 
together,  with  that  strange  wild  look  that  heralds  insanity. 
Once  or  twice  I  fancied  that  I  ©Jaserved  a  look  of  still  stranger, 
still  wilder  expression,  when  the  black  ring  forms  around  the 
eye— when  the  muscles  twitch  and  quiver  along  gaunt  famished 
jaws— when  men  gaze  guilty-like  at  each  other.  0  God  !  it  was 
fearful !  The  half-robber  discipline,  voluntary  at  the  best,  had 


A   BATTLE   WITH   GRIZZLY   BEARS.        .  229 

vanished  under  the  levelling-rod  of  a  common  suffering,  and  I 
trembled  to  think — 

" '  It  clars  a  leetle,  out  tharawa  ! ' 

"  It  was  the  voice  of  the  trapper,  Garey,  who  had  risen  and 
stood  pointing  towards  the  East. 

"In  an  instant  we  were  all  upon  our  feet,  looking  in  the 
direction  indicated.  Sure  enough,  there  was  a  break  in  the 
lead-coloured  sky — a  yellowish  streak,  that  widened  out  as  we 
continued  gazing — the  flakes  fell  lighter  and  thinner,  and  in  two 
hours  more  it  had  ceased  snowing  altogether. 

"  Half-a-dozen  of  us,  shouldering  our  rifles,  struck  down  the 
valley.  We  would  make  one  more  attempt  to  trample  a  road 
through  the  drift.  It  was  a  vain  one.  The  snow  was  over  our 
heads,  and  after  struggling  for  two  hours,  we  had  not  gained 
above  two  hundred  yards.  Here  we  caught  a  glimpse  of  what 
lay  before  us.  As  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  it  rested  upon  the 
same  deep  impassable  masses.  Despair  and  hunger  paralyzed 
our  exertions,  and  dropping  off  one  by  one,  we  returned  to  the 
camp. 

"  We  fell  down  around  the  fires  in  sullen  silence.  Garey  con 
tinned  pacing  back  and  forth,  now  glancing  up  at  the  sky,  and 
at  times  kneeling  down,  and  running  his  hand  over  the  surface 
of  the  snow.  At  length  he  approached  the  fire,  and  in  his  slow 
drawling  manner,  remarked — 

"  '  It's  a  gwine  to  friz,  I  rekin.' 

"  'Well  !  and  if  it  does  ?'  asked  one  of  his  comrades,  without 
caring  for  an  answer  to  the  question. 

"  '  Wai,  an  iv  it  does,'  repeated  the  trapper,  we'll  walk  out  o> 
this  hyar  jug  afore  sun-up,  an'  upon  a  good  hard  trail  too/ 

"  The  expression  of  every  face  was  changed,  as  if  by  magic. 
Several  leaped  to  their  feet.  Gode,  the  Canadian,  skilled  in 
enow-craft,  ran  to  a  bank,  and  drawing  his  hand  along  the 
v  imbing,  shouted  back — 


230  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

• 

"  '  C'est  vrai  ;  il  gele  ;  il  gelc  P 

"  A  cold  wind  soon  after  set  in,  and,  cheered  by  the  brighten 
ing  prospect,  we  began  to  think  of  the  fires,  that  during  our  late 
moments  of  reckless  indifference,  had  been  almost  suffered  to 
burn  out.  The  Delawares,  seizing  their  tomahawks,  commenced 
hacking  at  the  pines,  while  others  dragged  forward  the  fallen 
trees,  lopping  off  their  branches  with  the  keen  scalping-knife. 

"  At  this  moment  a  peculiar  cry  attracted  our  attention,  and, 
looking  around,  we  perceived  one  of  the  Indians  drop  suddenly 
upon  his  knees,  striking  the  ground  with  his  hatchet. 

"  '  What  is  it  ?  what  is  it  ?'  shouted  several  voices,  in  almost 
as  many  languages. 

"  '  Yam-yam!  yam-yam!'  replied  the  Indian,  still  digging  at 
the  frozen  ground. 

"  '  The  Injun's  right  ;  it's  man-root  /'  said  Garey,  picking  up 
some  leaves  which  the  Delaware  had  chopped  off. 

"  I  recognised  a  plant  well  known  to  the  mountain-man — a 
rare,  but  wonderful  convolvulus,  the  Iponea  leptophylla.  The 
name  of  '  man  root '  is  given  to  it  by  the  hunters  from  the  simi 
larity  of  its  root  in  shape,  and  sometimes  in  size,  to  the  body  of 
a  man.  It  is  esculent,  and  serves  to  sustain  human  life. 

"  In  an  instant,  half-a-dozen  men  were  upon  their  knees,  chip 
ping  and  hacking  the  hard  clay,  but  their  hatchets  glinted  off 
as  from  the  surface  of  a  rock. 

"  '  Look  hyar  ! '  cried  Garey  ;  '  ye 're  only  spoilin'  yer  tools. 
Cut  down  a  wheen  'o  these  saplins,  and  make  a  fire  over  him  I* 

"  The  hint  was  instantly  followed,  and  in  a  few  minutes  a 
dozen  pieces  of  pine  were  piled  upon  the  spot,  and  set  on  fire. 

"  We  stood  around  the  burning  branches  with  eager  anticipa 
tion.  Should  the  root  prove  a  '  full-grown  man,'  it  would  make 
a  supper  for  our  whole  party  ;  and  with  the  cheering  idea  of 
supper,  jokes  were  ventured  upon — the  first  we  had  heard  for 
some  time — the  hunters,  tickled  with  the  novelty  of  unearthing 


A    BATTLE   WITH   GRIZZLY   BEARS.  231 

the  '  old  man '  ready  roasted,  and  speculating  whether  he  would 
prove  a  '  fat  old  hoss.' 

"  A  hollow  crack  sounded  from  above,  like  the  breaking  of 
a  dead  tree.  We  looked  up.  A  large  object — an  animal — was 
whirling  outward  and  downward  from  a  ledge  that  projected 
half  way  up  the  cliff.  In  an  instant  it  struck  the  earth,  head 
foremost,  with  a  loud  '  bump/  and,  bounding  to  the  height  of 
several  feet,  came  back  with  a  somersault  on  its  legs,  and  stood 
firmly. 

"  An  involuntary  '  hurrah  !'  broke  from  the  hunters,  who  all 
recognised,  at  a  glance,  the  '  Carnero  Cimmaron,  or  '  bighorn/ 
He  had  cleared  the  precipice  at  two  leaps,  lighting  each  time  on 
his  huge  crescent-shaped  horns. 

"  For  a  moment,  both  parties — hunters  and  game — seemed 
equally  taken  by  surprise,  and  stood  eyeing  each  other  in  mute 
wonder.  It  was  but  for  a  moment.  The  men  made  a  rush  for 
their  rifles,  and  the  animal,  recovering  from  his  trance  of  aston 
ishment,  tossed  back  his  horns,  and  bounded  across  the  platform. 
In  a  dozen  springs  he  had  reached  the  selvidge  of  the  snow, 
and  plunged  into  its  yielding  bank  ;  but,  at  the  same  instant, 
several  rifles  cracked,  and  the  white  wreath  was  crimsoned 
behind  him.  He  still  kept  on,  however,  leaping  and  breaking 
through  the  drift. 

"  We  struck  into  his  track,  and  followed  with  the  eagerness 
of  hungry  wolves.  We  could  tell  by  the  numerous  gouts  that 
he  was  shedding  his  life-blood,  and  about  fifty  paces  farther  on 
we  found  him  dead. 

"  A  shout  apprised  our  companions  of  our  success,  and  we 
had  commenced  dragging  back  the  prize,  when  wild  cries  reached 
tis  from  the  platform, — the  yells  of  the  men,  the  screams  of 
women,  mingled  with  oaths  and  exclamations  of  terror  ! 

"  We  ran  on  to  the  entrance  of  the  track.  On  reaching  it, 
a  sight  was  before  us  that  caused  the  stoutest  to  tremble. 


232  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

Hunters,  Indians,  and  women  were  running  to  and  fro  in  frantic 
confusion,  uttering  their  varied  cries.  We  knew  our  enemy  at 
a  glance, — the  dreaded  monsters  of  the  mountains— the  grizzly 
bears  ! 

"  There  were  five  of  them — five  in  sight — there  might  be 
others  in  the  background.  Five  were  enough  to  destroy  our 
whole  party,  caged  as  we  were,  and  weakened  by  famine. 

They  had  reached  the  cliff  in  chase  of  the  Cimmaron,  and  hun 
ger  and  disappointment  were  visible  in  their  horrid  aspects.  Two 
of  them  had  already  crawled  close  to  the  scarp,  and  were  paw 
ing  over  and  snuffing  the  air,  as  if  searching  for  a  place  to 
descend.  The  other  three  reared  themselves  up  on  their  hams, 
and  commenced  manoeuvring  with  their  fore-arms,  in  a  human 
like  and  comical  pantomime  ! 

"  We  were  in  no  condition  to  relish  this  amusement.  Every 
man  hastened  to  arm  himself,  those  who  had  emptied  their  rifles 
hurriedly  re-loading  them. 

"  '  For  your  life  don't  P  cried  Garey,  catching  at  the  gun  of 
one  of  the  hunters. 

"  The  caution  came  too  late  ;  half-a-dozen  bullets  were  already 
whistling  upwards. 

"  The  effect  was  just  what  the  trapper  had  anticipated.  The 
bears,  maddened  by  the  bullets,  which  had  harmed  them  no 
more  than  the  pricking  of  as  many  pins,  dropped  to  their  all- 
fours  again,  and,  with  fierce  growls,  commenced  descending  the 
cliff. 

"  The  scene  of  confusion  was  now  at  its  height.  Several  of 
the  men,  less  brave  than  their  comrades,  ran  off  to  hide  them 
selves  in  the  snow,  while  others  commenced  climbing  the  low- 
pine  trees  I 

"  'Cache  the  gals  !'  cried  Garey.  '  Hyar,  yer  darned  Spanish 
greasers  1  if  yer  wont  fight,  hook  on  to  the  weemen  a  wheen  o' 
yer,  and  to.it  them  to  the  snow.  Cowardly  slinks, — wagh  1' 


A   BATTLE    WITH   GRIZZLY    BEARS.  233 

"  '  See  to  them,  doctor/  I  shouted  to  the  German,  who,  T 
thought,  might  be  best  spared  from  the  fight' ;  and  the  next 
moment  the  doctor,  assisted  by  several  Mexicans,  was  hurrying 
the  terified  girls  towards  the  spot  where  we  had  left  the  Cim- 
maron. 

"  Many  of  us  knew  that  to  hide,  under  the  circumstances, 
would  be  worse  than  useless.  The  fierce  but  sagacious  brutes 
would  have  discovered  us  one  by  one,  and  destroyed  us  in  detail. 
'  They  must  be  met  and  fought  1'  that  was  the  word  ;  and  we 
resolved  to  carry  it  into  execution. 

"  There  were  about  a  dozen  of  us  who  '  stood  up  to  it' — all 
the  Delawares  and  Shawanoes,  with  Garey  and  the  mountain 
men. 

"  We  kept  firing  at  the  bears  as  they  ran  along  the  ledges 
in  their  zig  zag  descent,  but  our  rifles  were  out  of  order,  our 
fingers  were  numbed  with  cold,  and  our  nerves  weakened  with 
hunger.  Our  bullets  drew  blood  from  the  hideous  brutes,  yet 
not  a  shot  proved  deadly.  It  only  stung  them  into  fiercer  rage. 

"  It  was  a  fearful  moment  when  the  last  shot  was  fired,  and 
still  n'ot  an  enemy  the  less.  We  flung  away  the  guns,  and, 
clutching  the  hatchets  and  hunting-knives,  silently  awaited  our 
grizzly  foes. 

"  We  had  taken  our  stand  close  to  the  rock.  It  was  our 
design  to  have  the  first  blow,  as  the  animals,  for  the  most  part, 
came  stern-foremost  down  the  cliff.  In  this  we  were  disappointed. 
On  reaching  a  ledge  some  ten  feet  from  the  platform,  the  fore 
most  bear  halted,  and  seeing  our  position,  hesitated  to  descend. 
The  next  moment,  his  companions,  maddened  with  wounds, 
came  tumbling  down  upon  the  same  ledge,  and  with  fierce 
growls,  the  live  huge  bodies  were  precipitated  into  our 
midst. 

"Then  came  the  desperate  struggle,  which  I  cannot  describe, 
— the  shouts  of  the  hunters,  the  wilder  yells  of  our  Indian  allies, 


234  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

the  hoarse  worrying  of  the  bears,  the  ringing  of  tomahawks 
from  skulls  like  flint,  the  deep,  dull  '  thud'  of  the  stabbiug-knife, 
and  now  and  then  a  groan,  as  the  crescent  claw  tore  up  the 
clinging  muscle.  0  God  !  it  was  a  fearful  scene  ! 

"  Over  the  platform  bears  and  men  went  rolling  and  struggling, 
in  the  wild  battle  of  life  and  death.  Through  the  trees,  and 
into  the  deep  drift,  staining  the  snow  with  their  mingled  blood  I 
Here,  two  or  three  men  were  engaged  with  a  single  foe — there, 
some  brave  hunter  stood  battling  alone;  Several  were  sprawl 
ing  upon  the  ground.  Every  moment,  the  bears  were  lessening 
the  number  of  their  assailants  ! 

"  I  had  been  struck  down  at  the  commencement  of  the  struggle. 
On  regaining  my  feet,  I  saw  the  animal  that  had  felled  me  hug 
ging  the  prostrate  body  of  a  man. 

"  It  was  Gode.  I  leaned  over  the  bear,  clutching  its  shaggy 
skin.  I  did  this  to  steady  myself  ;  I  was  weak  and  dizzy;  so 
were  we  all.  I  struck  with  all  my  force,  stabbing  the  animal 
on  the  ribs. 

"  Letting  go  the  Frenchman,  the  bear  turned  suddenly,  and 
reared  upon  me.  I  endeavoured  to  avoid  the  encounter,  and 
ran  backward,  fending  him  off  with  my  knife. 

"  All  at  once  I  came  against  a  snow-drift,  and  fell  over  on  my 
back.  Next  moment,  the  heavy  body  was  precipitated  upon  me, 
the  sharp  claws  pierced  deep  into  my  shoulder— I  inhaled  the 
monster's  fetid  breath  ;  and  striking  wildly  with  my  right  arm, 
still  free,  we  rolled  over  and  over  in  the  snow. 

"I  was  blinded  by  the  dry  drift.  I  felt  myself  growing 
weaker  and  weaker  ;  it  was  the  loss  of  blood.  I  shouted — a 
despairing  shout — but  it  could  not  have  been  heard  at  ten  paces' 
distance.  Then  there  was  a  strange  hissing  sound  in  my  ears — 
a  bright  light  flashed  across  my  eyes  ;  a  burning  object  passed 
over  my  face,  scorching  the  skin  ;  there  was  a  smell  as  of  singing 
hair ;  I  could  hear  voices,  mixed  with  the  roars  of  my  adver- 


A   BATTLE    WITH    GRIZZLY   BEARS.  235 

sary  ;  and  all  at  once  the  claws  were  drawn  out  of  my  flesh,  the 
weight  was  lifted  from  my  breast,  and  I  was  alone  ! 

"  I  rose  to  my  feet,  and  rubbing  the  snow  out  of  my  eyes, 
looked  around.  I  could  see  no  one.  I  was  in  a  deep  hollow 
made  by  our  struggles,  but  I  was  alone  ! 

"  The  snow  all  around  me  was  dyed  to  a  crimson  ;  but  what 
had  become  of  my  terrible  antagonist  ?  Who  had  rescued  me 
from  his  deadly  embrace  ? 

"  I  staggered  forward  to  the  open  ground.  Here  a  new  scene 
met  my  gaze  :  a  strange-looking  man  was  running  across  the 
platform,  with  a  huge  firebrand — the  bole  of  a  burning  pine-tree 
— which  he  waved  in  the  air.  He  was  chasing  one  of  the  bears, 
that,  growling  with  rage  and  pain,  was  making  every  effort  to 
reach  the  cliffs.  Two  others  were  already  half-way  up,  and 
evidently  clambering  with  great  difficulty,  as  the  blood  dripped 
back  from  their  wounded  flanks. 

"  The  bear  that  was  pursued  soon  took  to  the  rocks,  and, 
urged  by  the  red  brand  scorching  his  shaggy  hams,  was  soon 
beyond  the  reach  of  his  pursuer.  The  latter  now  made  towards 
a  fourth,  that  was  still  battling  with  two  or  three  weak  antago 
nists.  This  one  was  '  routed '  in  a  twinkling,  and  with  yells  of 
terror  followed  his  comrades  up  the  bluff.  The  strange  man 
looked  around  for  the  fifth.  It  had  disappeared.  Prostrate, 
wounded  men  were  strewed  over  the  ground,  but  the  bear  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  He  had  doubtless  escaped  through  the  snow. 

"  I  was  still  wondering  who  was  the  hero  of  the  firebrand, 
arid  where  he  had  come  from.  I  have  said  he  was  a  strange- 
looking  man.  He  was  so — and  like  no  one  of  our  party  that  I 
could  think  of.  His  head  was  bald — no,  not  bald,  but  naked — 
there  was  not  a  hair  upon  it,  crown  or  sides,  and  it  glistened  in 
the  clear  light  like  polished  ivory.  I  was  puzzled  beyond 
expression,  when  a  man — Garey — who  had  been  felled  upon  the 
platform  by  a  blow  from  one  of  the  bears,  suddenly  sprang  to 
his  feet,  exclaiming — 


236  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST.  . 

"  *  Go  it,  Doc  !     Three  chyars  for  the  doctor  !' 

"  To  my  astonishment,  I  now  recognised  the  features  of  that 
individual,  the  absence  of  whose  brown  locks  had  produced  such 
a  metamorphosis  as,  I  believe,  was  never  effected  by  means  ot 
borrowed  hair. 

"  '  Here's  your  scalp,  Doc,'  cried  Garey,  running  up  with  the 
wig  ;  '  by  the  livin'  thunder  !  yer  saved  us  all ; '  and  the  hunter 
seized  the  German  in  his  wild  embrace. 

"  Wounded  men  were  all  around,  and  commenced  crawling 
together.  But  where  was  the  fifth  of  the  bears  ?  Four  only  had 
escaped  by  the  cliff. 

"  '  Yonder  he  goes  ?'  cried  a  voice,  as  a  light  spray,  rising 
above  the  snow-wreath,  showed  that  some  animal  was  struggling 
through  the  drift. 

"  Several  commenced  loading  their  rifles,  intending  to  follow, 
and,  if  possible,  secure  him.  The  Doctor  armed  himself  with  a 
fresh  pine  ;  but  before  these  arrangements  were  completed,  a 
strrfnge  cry  came  from  the  spot,  that  caused  our  blood  to  run 
cold  again.  The  Indians  leaped  to  their  feet,  and,  seizing  their 
tomahawks,  rushed  to  the  gap.  They  knew  the  meaning  of  that 
cry — it  was  the  death-yell  of  their  tribe  ! 

"  They  entered  the  road  that  we  had  trampled  down  in  the 
morning,  followed  by  those  who  had  loaded  their  guns.  We 
watched  them  from  the  platform' with  anxious  expectation,  but 
before  they  reached  the  spot,  we  could  see  that  the  '  stoor ;  was 
slowly  settling  down.  It  was  plain  that  the  struggle  had  ended. 

"  We  still  stood  waiting  in  breathless  silence,  and  watching 
the  floating  spray  that  noted  their  progress  through  the  drift. 
At  length  they  had  reached  the  scene  of  the  struggle.  There 
was  an  ominous  stillness,  that  lasted  for  a  moment,  and  then  the 
Indian's  fate  was  announced  in  the  sad,  wild  note  that  came 
wailing  up  the  valley.  It  was  the  dirge  of  a  Shawauo  warrior  1 

"  They  had  found  their  brave  comrade  dead,  with  his  scalping- 
knife  buried  in  the  heart  of  bis  terrible  antagonist !  *  * 


A    BATTLE   WITH   GRIZZLY   BEARS.  237 

"  It  was  a  costly  supper,  that  bear-meat,  but,  perhaps,  the 
sacrifice  had  saved  many  lives.  We  would  keep  the  '  cimnaaron' 
for  to-morrow  ;  next  day,  the  man-root ;  and  the  next — what 
next  ?  Perhaps — the  man  ! 

"  Fortunately,  we  were  not  driven  to  this  extremity.  The 
frost  had  again  set,  and  the  surface  of  the  snow,  previously 
moistened  by  the  sun  and  rain,  soon  became  caked  into  ice 
strong  enough  to  bear  us,  and  upon  its  firm  crust  we  escaped 
out  of  the  perilous  pass,  and  gained  the  warmer  region  of  the 
plains  in  safety ." 


238  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 


CHAPTER    XXYII. 

THE    SWANS    OF    AMERICA. 

IN  our  journey  we  had  kept  far  enough  to  the  north  to  avoid 
the  difficult  route  of  the  Ozark  Hills  ;  and  we  at  length 
encamped  upon  the  Marais  de  Cygnes,  a  branch  of  the  Osage 
River.  Beyond  this  we  expected  to  fall  in  with  the  buffalo,  and 
of  course  we  were  full  of  pleasant  anticipation.  Near  the  point 
where  we  had  pitched  our  camp,  the  banks  of  the  river  were 
marshy,  with  here  and  there  small  lakes  of  stagnant  water.  In 
these  a  large  number  of  swans,  with  wild  geese  and  other  aquatic 
birds,  were  swimming  and  feeding. 

Of  course  our  guns  were  put  in  requisition,  and  we  succeeded 
in  killing  a  brace  of  swans,  with  a  grey  goose  (Anser  Cana- 
densis),  and  a  pair  of  ducks.  The  swans  were  very  large  ones — 
of  the  Trumpeter  species — and  one  of  them  was  cooked  for 
supper.  It  was  in  excellent  condition,  and  furnished  a  meal  for 
the  whole  of  our  party  1  The  other  swan,  with  the  goose  and 
ducks,  were  stowed  away  for  another  occasion. 

While  "  discussing  "  the  flesh  of  this  great  and  noble  bird,  we 
also  discussed  many  of  the  points  in  its  natural  history. 

"  White  as  a  swan  "  is  a  simile  old  as  language  itself.  It 
would,  no  doubt,  puzzle  an  Australian,  used  to  look  upon  those 
beautiful  and  stately  birds  as  being  a  very  different  complexion. 
The  simile  holds  good,  however,  with  the  North  American 
species,  all  three  of  which — for  there  are  three  of  them — are 
almost  snow-white. 

We  need  not  describe  the  form  or  general  appearance  of  the 


THE    SWANS    OF   AMERICA.  239 

swan.  These  are  familiar  to  every  one.  The  long,  upright,  and 
gracefully-curving  neck  ;  the  finely-moulded  breast,  the  upward- 
tending  tail-tip,  the  light  "  dip/'  and  easy  progression  through 
the  water,  are  points  that  everybody  has  observed,  admired,  and 
remembered.  These  are  common  to  all  birds  of  the  genus 
Cygnus,  and  are  therefore  not  peculiar  to  the  swans  of  America. 

Many  people  fancy  there  are  but  two  kinds  of  swans — the 
white  and  black.  It  is  not  long  since  the  black  ones  have  been 
introduced  to  general  notoriety,  as  well  as  to  general  admiration. 
But  there  are  many  distinct  species  besides — species  differing  from 
each  other  in  size,  voice,  and  other  peculiarities.  In  Europe 
alone,  there  are  four  native  swans,  specifically  distinct. 

It  was  long  believed  that  the  common  American  swan  (C. 
Americanus)  was  identical  with  the  common  European  species, 
so  well  known  in  England.  It  is  now  ascertained,  however,  not 
only  that  these  two  are  specifically  distinct,  but  that  in  North 
America  there  exists  two  other  species,  differing  from  the  C. 
Americanus,  and  from  each  other.  These  are  the  Trumpeter  ( C. 
buccinnator)  and  the  small  swan  of  Bewick  (C.  Bewickii),  also 
an  inhabitant  of  European  countries. 

The  common  American  species  is  of  a  pure  white,  with  black 
bill,  legs,  and  feet.  A  slight  tinge  of  brownish  red  is  found  on 
some  individuals  on  the  crown  of  the  head,  and  a  small  patch  of 
orange-yellow  extends  from  the  angles  of  the  mouth  to  the  eye. 
On  the  base  of  the  bill  is  a  fleshy  tubercle  or  knob,  and  the 
upper  mandible  is  curved  at  the  top. 

The  young  of  this  species  are  of  a  bluish-grey  colour,  with 
more  of  the  brown-red  tinge  upon  the  head.  The  naked  yellow 
patch,  extending  from  the  angles  of  the  mouth  to  the  eye,  in  the 
young  birds,  is  covered  with  feathers,  and  their  bills  are  flesh 
coloured.  This  description  answers  in  every  respect  for  the 
swan  of  Bewick  ;  but  the  latter  species  is  only  three-fourths  the 
size  of  the  former  ;  and,  besides,  it  has  only  eighteen  tail  feathers 


240  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

while  the  American  swan  has  twenty.   Their  note  is  also  entirely 
unlike. 

The  "  Trumpeter  "  is  different  from  either.  He  is  the  largest, 
being  frequently  met  with  of  nearly  six  feet  in  length,  while  the 
common  swan  rarely  exceeds  five.  The  bill  of  the  Trumpeter  is 
not  tuberculated  ;  and  the  yellow  patch  under  the  eye  is  want 
ing.  The  bill,  legs,  and  feet  are  entirely  black.  All  the  rest  is 
white,  with  the  exception  of  the  head,  which  is  usually  tinged 
with  chestnut  or  red-brown.  When  young,  he  is  of  a  greyish 
white,  with  a  yellow  mixture,  and  the  head  of  deeper  red-brown. 
His  tail  feathers  are  twenty-four  in  number  ;  but  there  is  a 
material  difference  between  him  and  his  congeners  in  the  arrange 
ment  of  the  wind-pipe.  In  the  Trumpeter  this  enters  a  protu 
berance  that  stands  out  on  the  dorsal  aspect  of  the  sternum, 
which  is  wanting  in  both  the  other  kinds.  It  may  be  that  this 
arrangement  has  something  to  do  with  his  peculiar  note,  which 
differs  altogether  from  that  of  the  others.  It  is  much  fuller  and 
louder,  and  at  a  distance  bears  a  considerable  resemblance  to  the 
trumpet  or  French  horn.  Hence  the  trivial  name  by  which  the 
species  is  known  to  the  hunters. 

All  the  American  swans  are  migratory — that  is,  they  pass 
from  north  to  south  every  autumn,  and  back  again  from  south 
to  north  in  the  beginning  of  spring. 

The  period  of  their  migration  is  different  with  the  three  species. 
The  Trumpeter  is  the  earliest,  preceding  all  other  birds,  with  the 
exception  of  the  eagles.  The  C.  Amcricanus  comes  next  ;  and, 
lastly  the  small  swans,  which  are  among  the  very  latest  of  migra 
tory  birds. 

The  Trumpeters  seek  the  north  at  the  breaking  up  of  the  ice. 
Sometimes  they  arrive  at  a  point  in  their  journey  where  this  has 
not  taken  place.  In  such  cases  they  fly  back  again  until  they 
reach  some  river  or  lake  from  which  the  ice  has  disappeared, 
where  they  remain  a  few  days,  and  wait  the  opening  of  the 


THE    SWANS    OF    AMERICA.  241 

waters  further  north.  When  they  are  thus  retarded  and  sent 
back,  it  is  always  in  consequence  of  some  unusual  and  unreason 
able  weather. 

The  swans  go  northward  to  breed.  Perhaps  they  feel  more 
secure  in  the  inhospitable  wastes  that  lie  within  the  Arctic  circle. 
The  Trumpeters  breed  as  far  south  as  latitude  61°,  but  most  of 
them  retire  within  the  frigid  zone. 

The  small  swans  do  not  nest  so  far  south,  but  pursue  their 
course  still  onward  to  the  Polar  Sea.  Here  they  build  immense 
nests  by  raising  heaps  of  peat  moss,  six  feet  in  length  by  four  in 
width,  and  two  feet  high.  In  the  top  of  these  heaps  is  situated 
the  nest,  which  consists  of  a  cavity  a  foot  deep,  and  a  foot  and 
a  half  in  diameter. 

The  Trumpeters  and  American  swans  build  in  marshes  and  the 
islands  of  lakes.  Where  the  muskrat  (Fiber  zibethicus)  abounds, 
his  dome-shaped  dwelling' — at  that  season,  of  course,  deserted — 
serves  often  as  the  breeding-place  both  for  the  swans  and  wild 
geese.  On  the  top  of  this  structure,  isolated  in  the  midst  of 
great  marshes,  these  birds  are  secure  from  all  their  enemies — the 
eagle  excepted. 

The  eggs  of  the  Trumpeter  are  very  large,  one  of  them  being 
enough  to  make  a  good  meal  for  a  man.  The  eggs  of  the  Ame 
rican  species  are  smaller  and  of  a  greenish  appearance,  while 
those  of  the  Bewick  swan  are  still  smaller,  and  of  a  brownish- 
white  colour,  with  a  slight  clouding  of  darker  hue. 

Six  or  seven  eggs  is  the  usual  "  setting."  The  cygnets,  when 
half  or  full  grown,  are  esteemed  good  eating,  and  are  much 
sought  after  by  the  hunters  and  Indians  of  the  fur  countries. 

When  the  cygnets  are  full  grown,  and  the  frost  makes  its 
appearance  upon  the  lakes  and  rivers  of  the  hyperborean  regions, 
the  swans  begin  to  shift  southwards.  They  do  not  migrate 
directly,  as  in  the  spring,  but  take  more  time  on  their  journey, 
and  remain  longer  in  the  countries  through  which  they  pass. 

11 


242 

This  no  doubt  arises  from  the  fact  that  a  different  motive  or 
instinct  now  urges  them.  In  the  spring  they  are  under  the 
influence  of  philoprogenitiveness.  Now  they  range  from  lake  to 
lake  and  stream  to  stream  in  search  only  of  food.  Again,  as  in 
the  spring,  the  Trumpeters  lead  the  van — winging  their  way  to 
the  great  lakes,  and  afterwards  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  and  by 
the  line  of  the  Mississippi,  to  the  marshy  shores  of  the  Mexican 
Sea. 

It  may  be  remarked  that  this  last-mentioned  species — the 
Trumpeter — is  rare  upon  the  Atlantic  coast,  where  the  common 
swan  is  seen  in  the  greatest  plenty.  Again,  the  Trumpeter  does 
not  appear  on  the  Pacific  or  by  the  Columbia  River,  where  the 
common  swan  is  met  with,  but  the  latter  is  there  outnumbered 
by  the  small  species  (C.  Bewickii)  in  the  ratio  of  five  to  one. 
This  last  again  is  not  known  in  the  fur  countries  of  the  interior, 
where  the  C.  Americanus  is  found,  but  where  the  Trumpeter 
exists  in  greatest  numbers.  Indeed  the  skins  of  the  Trumpeter 
are  those  which  are  mostly  exported  by  the  Hudson's  Bay  Com 
pany,  and  which  form  an  important  article  of  their  commerce. 

The  swan  is  eagerly  hunted  by  the  Indians  who  inhabit  the 
fur  countries.  Its  skin  brings  good  price  from  the  traders,  and 
its  quills  are  valuable.  Besides,  the  flesh  is  a  consideration 
with  these  people,  whose  life,  it  must  be  borne  in  mind,  is  one 
continuous  struggle  for  food ;  and  who,  for  one-half  the  year,  live 
upon  the  very  verge  of  starvation. 

The  swan,  therefore,  being  a  bird  that  weighs  between  twenty 
and  thirty  pounds,  ranks  among  the  large  game,  and  is  hunted 
with  proportionate  ardour.  Every  art  the  Indian  can  devise  is 
made  use  of  to  circumvent  these  great  birds,  and  snares,  traps, 
and  decoys  of  all  kinds  are  employed  in  the  pursuit. 

But  the  swans  are  among  the  shiest  of  all  God's  creatures ; 
they  fly  so  rapidly,  unless  when  beating  against  the  wind,  that 
it  requires  a  practised  shot  to  hit  them  on  the  wing.  Even  when 


THE    SWANS    OF   AMERICA.  243 

moulting  their  feathers,  or  when  young,  they  can  escape — 
fluttering  over  the  surface  of  the  water  faster  than  a  canoe  can 
be  paddled. 

The  most  usual  method  of  hunting  them  is  by  snares. 
These  are  set  in  the  following  manner  : — 

A  lake  or  river  is  chosen,  where  it  is  known  the  swans  are  in 
the  habit  of  resting  for  some  time  on  their  migration  southward 
— for  this  is  the  principal  season  of  swan-catching. 

Some  time  before  the  birds  make  their  appearance,  a  number 
of  wicker  hedges  are  constructed,  running  perpendicularly  out 
from  the  bank,  and  at  the  distance  of  a  few  yards  from  each 
other.  In  the  space  between,  as  well  as  in  openings  left  in  the 
fences  themselves,  snares  are  set.  These  snares  are  made  of 
the  intestines  of  the  deer,  twisted  into  a  round  shape  and 
looped.  They  are  placed  so  that  several  snares  may  embrace 
the  opening,  and  the  swans  cannot  pass  through  without  being 
caught. 

The  snare  is  fastened  to  a  stake,  driven  into  the  mud  with 
sufficient  firmness  to  hold  the  bird  when  caught  and  struggling. 
That  the  snare  may  not  be  blown  out  of  its  proper  place  by  the 
wind,  or  carried  astray  by  the  current,  it  is  attached  to  the 
wattles  of  the  hedge  by  some  strands  of  grass.  These,  of 
course,  are  easily  broken,  and  give  way  the  moment  a  bird 
presses  against  the  loop. 

The  fences  or  wattle-hedges  are  always  constructed  projecting 
out  from  the  shore — for  it  is  known  that  the  swans  must  keep 
close  to  the  land  while  feeding.  Whenever  a  lake  or  river  is 
sufficiently  shallow  to  make  it  possible  to  drive  in  stakes,  the 
hedges  are  continued  across  it  from  one  side  to  the  other. 

Swans  are  also  snared  upon  their  nests.  When  a  nest  is 
found,  the  snare  is  set  so  as  to  catch  the  bird  upon  her  return  to 
the  eggs.  These  birds,  like  many  others,  have  the  habit  of 
entering  the  nest  on  one  side,  and  going  out  by  the  other,  and  it 
is  upon  the  entrance  side  that  the  snare  is  set. 


244  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

The  Indians  have  a  belief  that  if  the  hands  of  the  persons 
setting  the  snare  be  not  clean,  the  bird  will  not  approach  it,  but 
rather  desert  her  eggs,  even  though  she  may  have  been  hatching 
them  for  some  time. 

It  is,  indeed,  true  that  this  is  a  habit  of  many  birds,  and  may 
be  so  of  the  wild  swan.  Certain  it  is  that  the  nest  is  always 
reconnoitred  by  the  returning  bird  with  great  caution,  and  any 
irregularity  appearing  about  it  will  render  her  extremely  shy  of 
approaching  it. 

Swans  are  shot,  like  other  birds,  by  "  approaching "  them 
under  cover.  It  requires  very  large  shot  to  kill  them — the  same 
that  is  used  for  the  deer,  and  known  throughout  America  as 
"  buck  shot."  In  England  this  size  of  shot  is  termed  "  swan 
shot." 

It  is  difficult  to  get  within  range  of  the  wild  swan.  He  is  by 
nature  a  shy  bird  ;  and  his  long  neck  enables  him  to  see  over 
the  sedge  that  surrounds  him.  Where  there  happens  to  be  no 
cover — and  this  is  generally  the  case  where  he  haunts — it  is 
impossible  to  approach  him. 

Sometimes  the  hunter  floats  down  upon  him  with  his  canoe 
hidden  by  a  garniture  of  reeds  and  bushes.  At  other  times  he 
gets  near  enough  in  the  disguise  of  a  deer  or  other  quadruped 
— for  the  swan,  like  most  wild  birds,  is  less  afraid  of  the  lower 
animals  than  of  man. 

During  the  spring  migration,  when  the  swan  is  moving  north 
ward,  the  hunter,  hidden  under  some  rock,  bank,  or  tree, 
frequently  lures  him  from  his  high  flight  by  the  imitation  of  his 
well-known  "  hoop."  This  does  not  succeed  so  well  in  the 
autumn. 

When  the  swans  arrive  prematurely  on  their  spring  journey, 
they  resort  sometimes  in  considerable  flocks  to  the  springs  and 
waterfalls,  all  other  places  being  then  ice-bound.  At  this  time 
the  hunters  conceal  themselves  in  the  neighbourhood,  obtain  the 
desired  proximity,  and  deal  destruction  with  their  guns. 


THE   SWANS   OF    AMERICA.  245 

A related  an  account  of  a  swan  hunt  by  torch -light, 

which  he  had  made  some  years  before. 

"  I  was  staying  some  days,"  said  he,  "  at  a  remote  settlement 
upon  one  of  the  streams  that  run  into  the  Red  river  of  the 
north.  It  was  in  the  autumn  season,  and  the  Trumpeter  swans 
had  arrived  in  the  neighbourhood  on  their  annual  migration  to 
the  south.  I  had  been  out  several  times  after  them  with  my 
gun,  but  was  unable  to  get  a  shot  at  them  in  consequence  of 
their  shyness.  I  had  adopted  every  expedient  I  could  think  of 
— calls,  disguises,  and  decoys — but  all  to  no  purpose.  I  resolved, 
at  length,  to  try  them  by  torch-light. 

"  It  so  happened  that  none  of  the  hunters  at  the  settlement 
had  ever  practised  this  method  ;  but  as  most  of  them  had 
succeeded,  by  some  means  or  other,  in  decoying  and  capturing 
several  swans  by  other  means,  my  hunter-pride  was  touched,  and 
I  was  most  anxious  to  show  that  I  could  kill  swans  as  well  as 
they.  I  had  never  seen  swans  shot  by  torch-light,  but  I  had 
employed  the  plan  for  killing  deer,  as  you  already  know,  and  I 
was  determined  to  make  a  trial  of  it  upon  the  swans. 

"I  set  secretly  about  it,  resolved  to  steal  a  march  upon  my 
neighbours,  if  possible.  My  servant  alone  was  admitted  into  my 
confidence,  and  we  proceeded  to  make  the  necessary  arrange 
ments. 

"  These  were  precisely  similar  to  those  already  described  in 
my  hunt  of  the  long-tails,  except  that  the  canoe,  instead  of  being 
'  a  dug  out,'  was  a  light  craft  of  birch  bark,  such  as  are  in  use 
among  the  Chippewas  and  other  Indians  of  the  northern  coun 
tries.  The  canoe  was  obtained  from  a  settler,  and  filled  with 
torchwood  and  other  necessary  articles,  but  these  were  clandes 
tinely  put  on  board. 

"  I  was  now  ready,  and  a  dark  night  was  all  that  was  wanted 
to  enable  me  to  carry  out  my  plan. 

"  Fortunately  I  soon  obtained  this  to  my  heart's  satisfaction. 


246  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

A  night  arrived  as  dark  as  Erebus ;  and  with  my  servant  using 
the  paddle,  we  pushed  out  and  shot  swiftly  down-stream. 

"  As  soon  as  we  had  cleared  the  'settlement,'  we  lit  our  pine- 
knots  in  the  frying  pan.  The  blaze  refracted  from  the  concave 
and  blackened  surface  of  the  bark,  cast  a  brilliant  light  over  the 
semicircle  ahead  of  us,  at  the  same  time  that  we,  behind  the 
screen  of  birch  bark,  were  hid  in  utter  darkness.  I  had  heard 
that  the  swans,  instead  of  being  frightened  by  torch-light,  only 
became  amazed,  and  even  at  times  curious  enough  to  approach, 
it,  just  as  the  deer  and  some  other  animals  do.  This  proved  to 
be  correct,  as  we  had  very  soon  a  practical  illustration  of  it. 

"  We  had  not  gone  a  mile  down  the  river  when  we  observed 
several  white  objects  within  the  circle  of  our  light ;  and  paddling 
a  little  nearer,  we  saw  that  they  were  swans.  We  could  distin 
guish  their  Jong,  upright  necks ;  and  saw  that  they  had  given  up 
feeding,  and  were  gazing  with  wonder  at  the  odd  object  that 
was  approaching  them. 

"  There  were  five  of  them  in  the  flock ;  and  I  directed  my 
servant  to  paddle  towards  that  which  seemed  nearest,  and  to  use 
his  oar  with  as  much  silence  as  possible.  At  the  same  time  I 
looked  to  the  caps  of  my  double-barrelled  gun. 

"  The  swans  for  a  time  remained  perfectly  motionless,  sitting 
high  in  the  water,  with  their  long  necks  raised  far  above  the 
surface.  They  appeared  to  be  more  affected  by  surprise  than 
fear. 

"  When  we  had  got  within  about  a  hundred  yards  of  them, 
I  saw  that  they  began  to  move  about,  and  close  into  one 
another ;  at  the  same  time  was  heard  proceeding  from  them  a 
strange  sound  resembling  very  much  the  whistle  of  the  fallow 
deer.  I  had  heard  of  the  singing  of  the  swan,  as  a  prelude  to 
death,  and  I  hoped  that  that  which  now  reached  my  ears  was  a 
similar  foreboding. 

"In  order  to  make  it  so,  I  leaned  forward,   levelled  my 


THE    SWANS    OF    AMERICA.  247 

*  >    '  ^   '      '  ^       *•     • 

9 

double-barrel — both  barrels  being  cocked — and  waited  the 
moment. 

"  The  birds  had  '  clumped '  together,  until  their  long  serpent- 
like  necks  crossed  each  other.  A  few  more  noiseless  strokes  of 
the  paddle  brought  me  within  reach,  and  aiming  for  the  heads 
of  three  that  *  lined,'  I  pulled  both  triggers  at  once. 

"The  immense  recoil  flung  me  back,  and  the  smoke  for  a 
moment  prevented  us  from  seeing  the  effect. 

"  As  soon  as  it  had  been  wafted  aside,  our  eyes  were  feasted 
by  the  sight  of  two  large  white  objects  floating  down  .the  current, 
while  a  third,  evidently  wounded,  struggled  along  the  surface, 
and  was  beating  the  water  into  foam  with  its  broad  wings. 

"  The  remaining  two  had  risen  high  into  the  air,  and  were 
heard  uttering  their  loud  trumpet  notes  as  they  winged  their 
flight  through  the  dark  heavens. 

"  We  soon  bagged  our  game,  both  dead  and  wounded,  and 
saw  that  they  were  a  large  '  gander '  and  two  young  birds. 

"  It  was  a  successful  beginning ;  and  having  replenished  our 
torch,  we  continued  to  float  downwards  in  search  of  more.  Half 
a  mile  further  on,  we  came  in  sight  of  three  others,  one  of  which 
we  succeeded  in  killing. 

"Another  'spell'  of  paddling  brought  us  to  a  third  flock, 
out  of  which  I  got  one  for  each  barrel  of  my  gun  ;  and  a  short 
distance  below  I  succeeded  in  killing  a  pair  of  the  grey  wild 
geese. 

"  In  this  way  we  kept  down  the  river  for  at  least  ten  miles  I 
should  think,  killing  both  swans  and  geese  as  we  went.  Indeed, 
the  novelty  of  the  thing,  the  wild  scenery  through  which  we 
passed — rendered  more  wild  and  picturesque  by  the  glare  of  the 
torch — and  the  excitement  of  success,  all  combined  to  render  the 
sport  most  attractive ;  and  but  that  our  '  pine-knots '  had  run 
out,  I  would  have  continued  it  until  morning. 

"The  failure  of  these  at  length  brought  our  shooting  to  a  ter- 


248  THE  HUNTER'S  FEAST. 

mination,  and  we  were  compelled  to  put  about,  and  undertake 
the  less  pleasant,  and  much  more  laborious  task  of  paddling  ten 
miles  up-stream.  The  consciousness,  however,  of  having  per 
formed  a  great  feat — in  the  language  of  the  Canadian  hunters, 
a  grand  '  coup,'  made  the  labor  seem  more  light,  and  we  soon 
arrived  at  the  settlement,  and  next  morning  triumphantly 
paraded  our  game-bag  in  front  of  our  '  lodge.' 

"  Its  contents  were  twelve  Trumpeter  swans,  besides  three  of 
the  'hoopers.'  We  had  also  a  pair  of  Canada  geese  ;  a  snow- 
goose,  and  three  brant,  these  last  being  the  produce  of  a  single 
shot.  . 

"  The  hunters  of  the  settlement  were  quite  envious,  and  could 
not  understand  what  means  I  had  employed  to  get  up  such  a 
*  game-bag.'  I  intended  to  have  kept  that  for  some  time  a  secret ; 
but  the  frying-pan  and  the  piece  of  blackened  bark  were  found, 
and  these  betrayed  my  stratagem ;  so  that  on  the  night  after, 
a  dozen  canoes,  with  torches  at  their  bows,  might  have  been  seen 
floating  down  the  waters  of  the  stream." 


HUNTING    THE    MOOSE.  249 


CHAPTER  XXVIII. 

HUNTING    THE    MOOSE. 

WHILE  crossing  the  marshy  bottom  through  which  our  road 
led,  a  singular  hoof-track  was  observed  in  the  mud.  Some  were 
of  opinion  that  it  was  a  track  of  the  great  moose-deer,  but  the 
hunter-naturalist,  better  informed,  scouted  the  idea — declaring 
that  moose  never  ranged  so  far  id  the  south.  It  was  no  doubt 
a  very  large  elk  that  had  made  the  track,  and  to  this  conclusion 
all  at  length  came. 

The  great  moose-deer,  however,  was  an  interesting  theme,  and 
we  rode  along  conversing  upon  it. 

The  moose  (Cervus  alces)  is  the  largest  of  the  deer  kind.  The 
male  is  ordinarily  as  large  as  a  mule ;  specimens  have  been  killed 
of  still  greater  dimensions.  One  that  has  been  measured,  stood 
seventeen  hands,  and  weighed  1200  Ibs. ;  it  was  consequently 
larger  than  most  horses.  The  females  are  considerably  smalfei 
than  the  males. 

The  colour  of  the  moose,  like  that  of  other  animals  of  the  deei 
kind,  varies  with  the  season  ;  it  varies  also  with  the  sex.  The 
male  is  tawny-brown  over  the  back,  sides,  head,  and  thighs  ;  thif 
changes  to  a  darker  hue  in  winter,  and  in  very  old  animals  it  ia 
nearly  black ;  hence  the  name  "  black  elk,"  which  is  given  in 
some  districts  to  the  moose.  The  under  parts  of  the  body  are 
light-coloured,  with  a  tinge  of  yellow  or  soiled  white. 

The  female  is  of  a  sandy-brown  colour  above,  and  beneath 
almost  white.  The  calves  are  sandy  brown,  but  never  spotted, 
as  are  the  fawns  of  the  common  deer. 

The  moose  is  no  other  than  the  elk  of  Northern  Europe ;  but 
11* 


250  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

the  elk  of  America  (Cervus  Canadensis),  as  already  stated,  is 
altogether  a  different  animal.  These  two  species  may  be  mis 
taken  for  each  other,  in  the  season  when- their  antlers  are  young, 
or  in  the  velvet ;  then  they  are  not  unlike  to  a  superficial  obser 
ver.  But  the  animals  are  rarely  confounded — only  the  names. 
The  American  elk  is  not  found  indigenous  in  the  eastern  hemi 
sphere,  although  he  is  the  ornament  of  many  a  lordly  park. 

The  identity  of  the  moose  with  the  European  elk  is  a  fact  that 
leads  to  curious  considerations.  A  similar  identity  exists 
between  the  caribou  of  Canada  and  the  reindeer  of  Northern 
Europe — they  are  both  the  Cervus  tarandus  of  Pliny.  So  also 
with  the  polar  bear  of  both  hemispheres,  the  arctic  fox,  and  seve 
ral  other  animals.  Hence  we  infer,  that  there  existed  at  some 
period  either  a  land  connection,  or  some  other  means  of  commu 
nication,  between  the  northern  parts  of  both  continents. 

Besides  being  the  largest,  the  moose  is  certainly  the  most 
ungraceful  of  the  deer  family.  His  head  is  long,  out  of  all  pro 
portion  ;  so,  too,  are  his  legs  ;  while  his  neck  is  short  in  an 
inverse  ratio.  His  ears  are  nearly  a  foot  in  length,  asinine, 
broad,  and  slouching ;  his  eyes  are  small ;  and  his  muzzle 
square,  with  a  deep  sulcus  in  the  middle,  which  gives  it  the 
appearance  of  being  bifid.  The  upper  lip  overhangs  the  under 
by  several  inches,  and  is  highly  prehensile.  A  long  tuft  of 
coarse  hair  grows  out  of  an  excrescence  on  the  throat,  in  the 
angle  between  the  head  and  neck.  This  .uft  is  observed  both 
in  the  male  and  female,  though  only  when  full  grown.  In  the 
young,  the  excrescence  is  naked. 

An  erect  mane,  somewhat  resembling  that  of  a  cropped  Shet 
land  pony,  runs  from  the  base  of  the  horns  over  the  withers,  and 
some  way  down  the  back.  This  adds  to  the  stiff  and  ungainly 
appearance  of  the  animal. 

The  horns  of  the  moose  are  a  striking  characteristic :  they  are 
palmated  or  flattened  out  like  shovels,  while  along  the  edge  rise 


HUNTING    THE    MOOSE.  251 

the  points  or  antlers.  The  width  from  horn  to  horn  at  their  tops 
is  often  more  than  four  feet,  and  the  breadth  of  a  single  one,  ant 
lers  included,  is  frequently  thirty  inches.  A  single  pair  has  been 
known  to  weigh  as  much  as  60  Ib.  avoirdupois ! 

Of  course  this  stupendous  head-dress  gives  the  moose  quite 
an  imposing  appearance ;  and  it  is  one  of  the  wonders  of  the 
naturalist  what  can  be  its  object. 

The  horns  are  found  only  on  the  males,  and  attain  their  full 
size  only  when  these  have  reached  their  seventh  year.  In  the 
yearlings  appear  two  knobs,  about  an  inch  in  length ;  in  two- 
year-olds,  these  knobs  have  become  spikes  a  foot  high ;  in  the 
third  year  they  begin  to  palmate,  and  antlers  rise  along  their 
edges ;  and  so  on,  until  the  seventh  year,  when  they  become 
fully  developed.  They  are  annually  caducous,  however,  as  with 
the  common  deer,  so  that  these  immense  appendages  are  the 
growth  of  a  few  weeks ! 

The  haunts  and  habits  of  the  moose  differ  materially  from 
those  of  other  deer.  He  cannot  browse  upon  level  ground 
without  kneeling  or  widening  his  legs  to  a  great  extent :  this  dif 
ficulty  arises  from  the  extreme  length  of  his  legs,  and  the  short 
ness  of  his  neck.  He  can  do  better  upon  the  sides  of  steep  hills, 
and  he  is  often  seen  in  such  places  grazing  upward. 

Grass,  however,  is  not  his  favourite  food  :  he  prefers  the  twigs 
and  leaves  of  trees — such  as  birch,  willow,  and  maple.  There  is 
one  species  of  the  last  of  which  he  is  extremely  fond ;  it  is  that 
known  as  striped  maple  (Acer  stria  turn),  or,  in  the  language  of 
hunters,  "  moose- wood."  He  peels  off  the  bark  from  old  trees 
of  this  sort,  and  feeds  upon  it,  as  well  as  upon  several  species  of 
mosses  with  which  the  arctic  regions  abound.  It  will  be  seen 
that  in  these  respects  he  resembles  the  giraffe :  he  may  be 
regarded  as  the  giraffe  of  the  frigid  zone. 

The  moose  loves  the  forest;  he  is  rarely  found  in  the  open 
ground — on  the  prairie,  never. 


252 


On  open  level  ground,  he  is  easily  overtaken  by  the  hunter ; 
as  he  makes  but  a  poor  run  in  such  a  situation.  His  feet  are 
tender,  and  his  wind  short ;  besides,  as  we  have  already  said,  he 
cannot  browse  there  without  great  inconvenience.  He  keeps  in 
the  thick  forest  and  the  impenetrable  swamp,  where  he  finds  the 
food  most  to  his  liking. 

In  summer,  he  takes  to  the  water,  wading  into  lakes  and 
rivers,  and  frequently  swimming  across  both.  This  habit  renders 
him  at  that  season  an  easy  prey  to  his  enemies,  the  Indian  hun 
ters,  for  in  the  water  he  is  easily  killed.  Nevertheless,  he  loves 
to  bury  himself  in  the  water,  because  along  the  shores  of  lakes 
and  margins  of  rivers  he  finds  the  tall  reed-grass,  and  the  pond- 
lily — the  latter  a  particular  favourite  with  him.  In  this  way, 
too,  he  rids  himself  of  the  biting  gnats  and  stinging  mosquitoes 
that  swarm  there ;  and  also  cools  his  blood,  fevered  by  parasites, 
larvae,  and  the  hot  sun. 

The  female  moose  produces  one,  two,  and  sometimes  three 
calves  at  a  birth;  this  is  in  April  or  May.  The  period  of 
gestation  is  nine  months. 

During  the  summer,  they  are  seen  in  families — that  is,  a  bull 
a  cow,  and  two  calves.  Sometimes  the  group  includes  three  or 
four  cows  ;  but  this  is  rare. 

Occasionally,  when  the  winter  comes  on,  several  of  these 
family  parties  unite,  and  form  herds  of  many  individuals.  When 
the  snow  is  deep,  one  of  these  herds  will  tread  down  a  space  of 
several  acres,  in  which  they  will  be  found  browsing  on  the  bark 
and  twigs  of  the  trees.  A  place  of  this  sort  is  termed  by  the 
hunters  a  "  moose-yard ;"  and  in  such  a  situation  the  animals 
become  an  easy  prey.  They  are  shot  down  on  the  spot,  and 
those  that  attempt  to  escape  through  the  deep  snow  are  over 
taken  and  brought  to  bay  by  dogs.  This  only  can  happen,  how 
ever,  when  the  snow  is  deep  and  crusted  with  frost ;  otherwise, 
the  hunters  and  their  dogs,  as  well  as  their  heavier  game,  would 


HUNTING    THE    MOOSE.      -  253 

sink  in  it.  When  the  snow  is  of  old  standing,  it  becomes  icy 
on  the  surface  through  the  heat  of  the  sun,  rain,  and  frost; 
then  it  will  bear  the  hunter,  but  not  the  deer.  The  latter  break 
through  it,  and  as  these  animals  are  tender-hoofed,  they  are 
lacerated  at  every  jump.  They  soon  feel  the  pain,  give  up  the 
attempt  to  escape,  and  come  to  bay. 

It  is  dangerous  for  dogs  to  approach  them  when  in  this  mood. 
They  strike  with  the  hoofs  of  their  forefeet,  a  single  blow  of 
which  often  knocks  the  breath  out  of  the  stoutest  deer-hound. 
There  are  many  records  of  hunters  having  been  sacrificed  in  a 
similar  manner. 

Where  the  moose  are  plentiful,  the  Indians  hunt  them  by 
pounding.  This  is  done  simply  by  inclosing  a  large  tract  of 
woods,  with  a  funnel-shaped  entrance  leading  into  the  inclosure. 
The  wide  mouth  of  the  entrance  embraces  a  path  which  the 
deer  habitually  take ;  upon  this  they  are  driven  by  the  Indians, 
deployed  in  a  wide  curve,  until  they  enter  the  funnel,  and  the 
pound  itself.  Here  there  are  nooses  set,  in  which  many  are 
snared,  while  others  are  shot  down  by  the  hunters  who  follow. 
This  method  is  more  frequently  employed  with  the  caribou, 
which  are  much  smaller,  and  more  gregarious  than  the  moose- 
deer. 

We  have  already  said  that  the  moose  are  easily  captured  in 
summer,  when  they  resort  to  the  lakes  and  rivers  to  wade  and 
swim.  The  biting  of  gnats  and  mosquitoes  renders  them  less 
fearful  of  the  approach  of  man.  The  Indians  then  attack  them 
in  their  canoes,*  and  either  shoot  or  spear  them  while  paddling 
alongside. 

They  are  much  less  dangerous  to  assail  in  this  way  than  the 
elk  or  even  the  common  deer  (Cervus  Virginianus),  as  the  latter, 
when  brought  in  contact  with  the  frail  birch-canoe,  often  kick 
up  in  such  a  manner  as  to  upset  it,  or  break  a  hole  through  its 
side.  On  the  contrary,  the  moose  is  frequently  caught  by  the 


254 


antlers  while  swimming,  and  in  this  way  carried  alongside  with 
out  either  difficulty  or  danger. 

Although  in  such  situations  these  huge  creatures  are  easily 
captured,  it  is  far  otherwise  as  a  general  rule.  Indeed,  few  ani 
mals  are  more  shy  than  the  moose.  Its  sight  is  acute ;  so,  too, 
with  its  sense  of  smell ;  but  that  organ  in  which  it  chiefly  con 
fides  is  the  ear.  It  can  hear  the  slightest  noise  to  a  great 
distance ;  and  the  hunter's  foot  among  the  dead  leaves,  or  upon 
the  frozen  snow-crust,  often  betrays  him  long  before  he  can 
creep  within  range.  They  are,  however,  frequently  killed  by 
the  solitary  hunter  stealing  upon  them,  or  "  approaching,"  as  it 
is  termed.  To  do  this,  it  is  absolutely  necessary  to  keep  to  lee 
ward  of  them,  else  the  wind  would  carry  to  their  quick  ears 
even  the  cautious  tread  of  the  Indian  hunter. 

There  is  one  other  method  of  hunting  the  moose  often  prac_ 
tised  by  the  Indians — that  is,  trailing  them  with  raquets,  or 
snow-shoes,  and  running  them  down.  As  I  had  partaken  of 
this  sport  I  was  able  to  give  an  account  of  it  to  my  companions. 

"In  the  winter  of  18 — ,  I  had  occasion  to  visit  a  friend  who 
lived  in  the  northern  part  of  the  state  of  Maine.  My  friend 
was  a  backwood  settler ;  dwelt  in  a  comfortable  log-house ; 
raised  corn,  cattle,  and  hogs ;  and  for  the  rest,  amused  himself 
occasionally  with  a  hunt  in  the  neighbouring  woods.  This  he 
could  do  without  going  far  from  home,  as  the  great  forests  of 
pine,  birch,  and  maple  trees  on  all  sides  surrounded  his  solitary 
clearing,  and  his  nearest  neighbour  was  about  twenty  miles  off. 
Literally,  my  friend  lived  in  the  woods,  and  the  sports  of  the 
chase  were  with  him  almost  a  necessity;  at  all  events,  they  were 
an  every-day  occupation. 

"  Up  to  the  time  of  my  visit,  I  had  never  seen  a  moose  except 
in  museums.  I  had  never  been  so  far  north  upon  the  American 
Continent ;  and  it  must  be  remembered,  that  the  geographical 
range  of  the  moose  is  confined  altogether  to  the  cold  countries. 


HUNTING   THE   MOOSE.  255 

It  is  only  in  the  extreme  northern  parts  of  the  United  States 
that  he  appears  at  all.  Canada,  with  the  vast  territories  Of  the 
Hudson's  Bay  Company,  even  to  the  shores  of  the  Arctic  Sea, 
is  the  proper  habitat  of  this  animal. 

"  I  was  familiar  with  bears  ;  cougars  I  had  killed  ;  elk  and 
fallow-deer  I  had  driven  ;  'coons  and  possums  I  had  treed  ;  in 
short,  I  had  been  on  hunting  terms  with  almost  every  game  in 
America  except  the  moose.  I  was  most  eager,  however,  to  have 
a  shot  at  one  of  these  creatures,  and  I  well  remember  the  delight 
I  experienced  when  my  friend  informed  me  there  were  moose  in 
the  adjacent  woods. 

"On  the  day  after  my,  arrival,  we  set  forth  in  search  of  them, 
each  armed  with  a  hunting-knife  and  a  heavy  deer-gun.  We 
went  a-foot  ;  we  could  not  go  otherwise,  as  the  snow  lay  to  the 
depth  of  a  yard,  and  a  horse  would  have  plunged  through  it 
with  difficulty.  It  was  an  old  snow,  moreover,  thickly  crusted, 
and  would  have  maimed  our  horses  in  a  few  minutes.  We,  with 
our  broad  rackets,  could  skim  along  without  sinking  below  the 
surface. 

"  I  know  not  whether  you  have  ever  seen  a  pair  of  rackets, 
or  Indian  snow-shoes,  but  their  description  is  easy.  You  have 
seen  the  rackets  used  in  ball-play.  Wei],  now,  fancy  a  hoop, 
not  of  circular  form,  but  forced  into  an  elongated  pointed  ellipse,, 
very  much  after  the  shape  of  the  impression  that  a  capsized 
boat  would  make  in  snow  :  fancy  this  about  three  feet  long,  and 
a  foot  across  at  its  widest,  closely  netted  over  with  gut  or  deer- 
thong,  with  bars  in  the  middle  to  rest  the  foot  upon,  and  a  small 
hole  to  allow  play  to  the  toes,  and  you  wHl  have  some  idea  of  a 
snow-shoe.  Two  of  these — right  and  left — make  a  pair.  They 
are  simply  strapped  on  to  your  boots,  and  then  their  broad  sur 
face  sustains  you,  even  when  the  snow  is  comparatively  soft,  but 
perfectly  when  it  is  frozen. 

"  Thus  equipped,  my  friend  and  I  set  out  a  pied,  followed  by 


THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

a  couple  of  stout  deer-hounds.  We  made  directly  for  a  part  of 
the  woods  where  it  was  known  to  my  friend  that  the  striped 
maple  grew  in  great  plenty.  It  has  been  stated  already,  that 
the  moose  are  particularly  fond  of  these  trees,  and  there  we  would 
be  most  likely  to  fall  in  with  them. 

"  The  striped  maple  is  a  beautiful  deciduous  little  tree  or  shrub, 
growing  to  the  height  of  a  dozen  feet  or  so  in  its  natural  habitat. 
When  cultivated,  it  often  reaches  thirty  feet.  There  is  one  at 
Schoubrunn,  near  Yienna,  forty  feet  high,  but  this  is  an  excep 
tion,  and  is  the  largest  known.  The  usual  height  is  ten  or 
twelve  feet,  and  it  is  more  often  the  underwood  of  the  forest 
than  the  forest  itself.  When  thus  situated,  under  the  shade  of 
loftier  trees,  it  degenerates  almost  to  the  character  of  a  shrub. 

"  The  trunk  and  branches  of  the  striped  maple  are  covered 
with  a  smooth  green  bark,  longitudinally  marked  with  light  and 
dark  stripes,  by  which  the  tree  is  easily  distinguished  from  others, 
and  from  which  it  takes  its  name.  It  has  other  trivial  names  in 
different  parts  of  the  country.  In  New  York  state,  it  is  called 
'dogwood;'  but  improperly  so,  as  the  real  dog-wood  (Cornus 
florida]  is  a  very  different  tree.  It  is  known  also  as  '  false  dog 
wood,'  and  '  snake-barked  maple.'  The  name  Tuoose-wood  is 
common  among  the  hunters  and  frontiers-men  for  reasons  already 
given.  Where  the  striped  maple  is  indigenous,  it  is  one  of  the 
first  productions  that  announces  the  approach  of  spring.  Its 
buds  and  leaves,  when  beginning  to  unfold,  are  of  a  roseate  hue, 
and  soon  change  to  a  yellowish  green  ;  the  leaves  are  thick,  cor 
date,  rounded  at  the  base,  with  three  sharp  lobes  at  the  other 
extremity,  and  finely  serrated.  They  are  usually  four  or  five 
inches  in  length  and  breadth.  The  tree  flowers  in  May  and 
June,  and  its  flowers  are  yellow-green,  grouped  on  long  pedun 
cles.  The  fruit,  like  all  other  maples,  consists  of  samara  or 
'  keys ;'  it  is  produced  in  great  abundance,  aud  is  ripe  in  Septem 
ber  or  October; 


HUNTING   THE   MOOSE.  257 

"  The  wood  is  white  and  finely  grained  ;  it  is  sometimes  used 
by  cabinet-makers  as  a  substitute  for  holly,  in  forming  the  lines 
with  which  they  inlay  mahogany. 

"  In  Canada,  and  those  parts  of  the  United  States  where  it 
gi  ows  in  great  plenty,  the  farmers  in  spring  turn  out  their  cattle 
and  horses  to  feed  upon  its  leaves  and  young  shoots,  of  which 
these  animals  are  extremly  fond  ;  the  more  so  as  it  is  only  in 
very  cold  regions  that  it  grows,  and  the  budding  of  its  foliage 
even  precedes  the  springing  of  the  grass.  Such  is  the  tree  which 
forms  the  favourite  browsing  of  the  moose. 

"  To  return  to  my  narrative. 

"  After  we  had  shuffled  about  two  miles  over  the  snow,  my 
friend  and  I  entered  a  tract  of  heavy  timber,  where  the  striped 
maple  formed  the  underwood.  It  did  not  grow  regularly,  but 
in  copses  or  small  thickets.  We  had  already  started  some  small 
game,  but  declined  following  it,  as  we  were  bent  only  on  a 
moose-chase. 

"  We  soon  fell  in  with  signs  that  indicated  the  propinquity  of 
the  animals  we  were  in  search  of.  In  several  of  the  thickets, 
the  maples'  were  stripped  of  their  twigs  and  bark,  but  this  had 
been  done  previous  to  the  falling  of  the  snow.  As  yet,  there 
were  no  tracks  :  we  were  not  long,  however,  before  this  welcome 
indication  was  met  with.  On  crossing  a  glade  where  there  was 
but  little  snow,  the  prints  of  a  great  split  hoof  were  seen,  which 
my  friend  at  once  pronounced  to  be  those  of  the  moose. 

"  We  followed  this  trail  for  some  distance,  until  it  led  into 
deeper  snow  and  a  more  retired  part  of  the  forest.  The  tracks 
were  evidently  fresh  ones,  and  those,  as  my  friend  asserted,  of 
an  old  bull. 

"  Half-a-mile  further  on,  they  were  joined  by  others  ;  and  the 
trail  became  a  broken  path  through  the  deep  snow,  as  if  it  had 
been  made  by  farm-cattle  following  each  other  in  single  file. 
Four  moose  had  passed,  as  my  friend — skilled  in  woodcraft — 


25S  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST 

confidently  asserted,  although  I  conld  not  have  told  that  from 
the  appearance  of  the  trail.  He  went  still  farther  in  his 
'  reckoning/  and  stated  that  they  were  a  bull,  a  cow,  and  two 
nine-months'  calves. 

"  '  You  shall  soon  see/  he  said,  perceiving  that  I  was  some 
what  incredulous.  *  Look  here  !'  he  continued,  bending  down 
and  pressing  the  broken  snow  with  his  fingers  ;  '  they  are  quite 
fresh — made  within  an  hour.  Speak  low — the  cattle  can't  be 
far  off.  Yonder,  as  I  live  !  yonder  they  are — hush  !' 

"  My  friend,  as  he  spoke,  pointed  to  a  thicket  about  three 
hundred  yards  distant ;  I  looked  in  that  direction,  but  at  first 
could  perceive  nothing  more  than  the  thickly-growing  branches 
of  the  maples. 

"  After  a  moment,  however,  I  could  trace  among  the  twigs 
the  long  dark  outlines  of  a  strange  animal's  back,  with  a  huge 
pair  of  palmated  horns  rising  above  the  underwood.  It  was 
the  bull-moose — there  was  no  mistaking  him  for  any  other  crea 
ture.  Near  him  other  forms — three  of  them — were  visible  : 
these  were  of  smaller  stature,  and  I  could  see  that  they  were 
hornless.  They  were  the  cow  and  the  calves  ;  and  the  herd  was 
made  up,  as  my  companion  had  foretold,  of  these  four  individuals. 

"  We  had  halted  on  the  moment,  each  of  us  holding  one  of 
the  dogs,  and  endeavouring  to  quiet  them,  as  they  already 
scented  the  game.  We  soon  saw  that  it  was  of  no  use  remain 
ing  where  we  were,  as  the  herd  was  fully  three  hundred  yards 
from  us,  far  beyond  the  reach  of  even  our  heavy  deer- 
guns. 

"  It  would  be  of  no  use,  either,  to  attempt  stealing  forward. 
There  was  no  cover  that  would  effectually  conceal  us,  for  the 
timber  around  was  not  large,  and  we  could  not,  therefore,  make 
shift  with  the  tree-trunks. 

"  There  was  no  other  mode,  then,  but  to  let  the  dogs  free  of 
their  leashes,  and  dash  right  forward.  We  knew  we  would  not 


BUNTING   THE   MOOSE.  259 

get  a  shot  until  after  a  run  ;  but  this  would  not  be  long,  thought 
we,  as  the  snow  was  in  perfect  order  for  our  purpose. 

"  Our  dogs  were  therefore  unleashed,  and  went  off  with  a 
simultaneous  '  growl,'  while  my  friend  and  I  followed  as  fast  as 
we  could. 

"  The  first  note  of  the  deer-hounds  was  a  signal  for  the  herd, 
and  we  could  hear  their  huge  bodies  crashing  through  the  under 
wood,  as  they  started  away. 

"  They  ran  across  some  open  ground,  evidently  with  the  inten 
tion  of  gaining  the  heavy  timber  beyond.  On  this  ground  there 
was  but  little  snow  ;  and  as  we  came  out  through  the  thicket 
we  had  a  full  view  of  the  noble  game.  The  old  bull  was  in  the 
lead,  followed  by  the  others  in  a  string.  I  observed  that  none 
of  them  galloped — a  gait  they  rarely  practise — but  all  went  in  a 
shambling  trot,  which,  however,  was  a  very  fast  one,  equal  to 
the  speed  of  a  horse.  They  carried  their  heads  horizontally, 
with  their  muzzles  directed  forward,  while  the  huge  antlers  of  the 
bull  leaned  back  upon  his  shoulders  as  he  ran.  Another  pecu 
liarity  that  struck  me — the  divisions  of  their  great  split  hoofs, 
as  they  lifted  them  from  the  ground,  met  with  a  cracking  sound, 
like  the  bursting  of  percussion-caps  ;  and  the  four  together 
rattled  as  they  ran,  as  though  a  string  of  Fourth  of  July  crackers 
had  been  touched  off.  I  have  often  heard  a  similar  cracking 
from  the  hoofs  of  farm-cattle  ;  but  with  so  many  hoofs  together, 
keeping  up  the  fire  incessantly,  it  produced  a  very  odd  impres 
sion  upon  me. 

"  In  a  short  time  they  were  out  of  sight,  but  we  could  hear 
the  baying  of  the  dogs  as  the  latter  closed  upon  them,  and  we 
followed,  guided  by  the  trail  they  had  made. 

"We  had  skaited  along  for  nearly  a  mile,  when  the  howl  of 
the  hounds  began  to  sound  through  the  woods  with  more  abrupt 
and  fiercer  echoes.  We  knew  by  this  that  the  moose  had  been 
brought  to  bay,  and  we  hurried  forward,  eager  to  have  a  shot. 


260  THE   HCJNTERS'    FEAST. 

"  On  arriving  at  the  place,  we  found  that  the  old  bull  had 
made  a  stand,  and  he  was  successfully  engaged  in  keeping  off  the 
dogs,  both  with  feet  and  horns.  The  others  had  gone  forward, 
and  were  out  of  view. 

"  The  bull,  on  seeing  us  approach,  once  more  took  the  trot, 
and,  followed  by  the  dogs,  was  soon  out  of  sight.  '  •,• 

"  On  reaching  the  spot  where  he  had  made  his  temporary 
halt,  we  found  that  his  trail  there  parted  from  that  of  the  other 
three,  as  he  had  taken  almost  an  opposite  direction.  Whether 
he  had  done  so  considerately,  in  order  to  lead  the  dogs  away 
from  his  weaker  companions,  I  know  not  ;  perhaps  our  sudden 
appearance  had  terrified  him  into  confusion,  and  he  had  struck 
out  without  looking  before  him. 

"  We  did  not  reflect  on  these  points  at  the  time.  My  friend, 
who  probably  was  thinking  more  about  the  meat  than  the  sport, 
without  halting  a  moment,  followed  the  trail  of  the  cow  and 
calves  ;  while  I,  guided  by  different  motives,  took  after  the  bull. 
I  was  in  too  great  a  hurry  to  heed  some  admonitions  which  were 
given  by  my  friend  as  we  parted  company.  As  our  trails  sepa 
rated,  I  heard  him  shouting  to  me  to  mind  what  I  was  about  ; 
but  the  courses  we  followed  soon  carried  us  beyond  ear-shot  or 
sight  of  each  other. 

"  I  followed  the  chase  about  half  a  mile  farther,  guided  by 
the  tracks,  as  well  as  by  the  baying  of  the  hounds.  Again  this 
assumed  the  fierce  angry  tone  that  denoted  a  battle  going  on 
between  the  dogs  and  the  deer. 

"  As  I  neared  the  spot,  the  voices  of  the  former  seemed  to 
grow  feebler  ;  then  there  was  a  continued  howling,  as  if  the 
hounds  were  being  roughly  handled,  and  one  of  them  I  noticed 
was  altogether  silent. 

"  On  arriving  on  the  scene,  which  I  did  soon  after,  I  learned 
the  cause  of  this  change  of  tune.  One  of  the  dogs  met  me  run 
ning  back  on  the  trail  on  three  legs  only,  and  wofully  mangled. 


HUNTING   THE   MOOSE.  261 

The  moose  was  standing  in  a  snow-pit,  which  had  been  trodden 
out  by  the  animals  while  battling,  and  near  his  feet  lay  the  other 
dog,  mutilated  in  a  most  fearful  manner,  and  evidently  quite 
dead.  The  bull,  in  his  rage,  still  continued  to  assail  the  dead 
body  of  the  hound,  rising  and  pouncing  down  upon  it  with  his 
fore-hoofs  until  the  ribs  cracked  under  the  concussion  ! 

"On  seeing  me,  he  again  struck  into  the  snow,  and  made  off  ; 
I  saw,  however,  that  his  limbs  were  much  lacerated  by  the  fro 
zen  crust,  and  that  he  ran  slowly,  leaving  red  tracks  behind 
him. 

"  I  did  not  stop  by  the  dogs — one  being  dead,  and  the  survivor 
but  little  better — but  kept  on  after  the  game. 

"  We  had  now  got  into  a  tract  where  the  snow  lay  of  more 
than  usual  depth,  and  my  snow-shoes  enabled  me  to  skim  along 
faster  than  the  moose  himself,  that  I  could  easily  perceive  was 
growing  feebler  at  every  plunge.  I  saw  that  I  was  gaining 
upon  him,  and  would  soon  be  alongside.  The  woods  through 
which  we  were  passing  were  pretty  open,  and  I  could  note  every 
movement  of  the  chase. 

"  I  had  got  within  a  hundred  yards  of  him,  and  was  thinking 
of  firing  at  him  as  he  ran,  when  all  at  once  he  came  to  a  stop,  and 
wheeling  suddenly  round,  stood  facing  me.  His  huge  antlers 
were  thrown  back  until  they  touched  his  withers  ;  his  mane 
stood  erect  ;  all  the  hair  upon  his  body  seemed  to  bristle  for 
ward  ;  and  his  whole  attitude  was  one  of  rage  and  defiance  :  he 
was  altogether  as  formidable-looking  an  enemy  as  it  had  ever 
been  my  lot  to  encounter. 

"  My  first  thought  on  getting  near  enough  was  to  raise  my 
rifle  and  fire,  which  I  did.  I  aimed  for  his  chest,  that  was  fair 
before  me  ;  but  I  shot  wide,  partly  because  my  fingers  were 
numbed  with  cold,  and  partly  because  the  sun  at  the  moment 
flashed  in  my  eyes  as  I  glanced  along  the  barrel.  I  hit  the 
moose,  however,  but  in  a  part  that  was  not  mortal — in  the 
shoulder. 


262 

"  The  shot  enraged  him,  and  without  waiting  fo'r  me  to  reload, 
he  dashed  madly  forward  towards  me  ;  a  few  plunges  brought 
him  up,  and  I  had  no  resource  but  to  get  behind  a  tree. 

"  Fortunately  there  were  some  large  pines  in  the  neighbour 
hood,  and  behind  one  of  these  I  took  shelter — not,  however, 
before  the  enraged  animal  had  almost  impaled  me  upon  his 
antlers.  As  I  slipped  behind  the  trunk,  he  was  following  me  so 
close  that  his  korus  came  in  contact  with  the  tree,  causing  it  to 
vibrate  by  the  terrific  shock.  He  himself  drew  back  a  pace  or 
two,  and  then  stopped  and  stood  fast,  eyeing  the  tree  with  sullen 
rage  ;  his  eyes  glared,  and  his  long  stiff  hair  seemed  to  quiver 
as  he  threatened. 

"  In  the  hope  that  he  would  allow  me  time,  I  again  bethought 
me  of  loading  my  gun.  What  was  my  chagrin  to  find  that  I  had 
not  a  grain  of  powder  about  me  !  My  friend  and  I  had  started 
with  but  one  powder-flask,  and  that  he  had  carried  with  him. 
My  gun  was  as  useless  as  a  bar  of  iron. 

"What  was  to  be  done?  I  dared  not  approach  the  bull  with 
my  knife ;  my  life  would  not  have  been  worth  five  minutes'  pur 
chase.  His  horns  and  great  sharp  hoofs  were  weapons  superior 
to  mine.  He  might  throw  me  down  at  the  first  outset,  gore  me 
to  death,  or  trample  me  in  the  snow.  I  dared  not  risk  such  an 
encounter. 

"  After  reflecting  for  some  time,  I  concluded  that  it  would  be 
wiser  for  me  to  leave  the  moose  where  he  was,  and  take  the  back 
track  without  him.  But  how  was  J  to  get  away  from  the  spot  ? 
I  was  still  behind  the  tree,  and  the  enraged  bull  was  within 
three  feet  of  it  on  the  other  side,  without  showing  any  symptoms 
of  retiring.  Should  I  step  either  to  one  side  or  the  other,  he 
would  launch  himself  upon  me,  and  the  result  would  be  my 
certain  destruction. 

"  I  now  began  to  perceive  that  I  was  in  a  fix — regularly 
'  treed/  in  fact ;  and  the  knowledge  was  anything  but  cheering. 
I  did  not  know  how  long  I  might  be  kept  so  ;  .perhaps  the 


HUNTING   THE   MOOSE.  283 

moose  might  not  lea-ve  me  at  all,  or  until  hunger  had -done  its 
work.  The  wound  I  had  given  him  had  certainly  rendered  him 
desperate  and  vengeful,  and  he  appeared  as  if  determined  to 
protract  the  siege  indefinitely. 

"  After  remaining  nearly  an  hour  in  this  situation,  I  began  to 
grow  angry  and  impatient.  I  had  shouted  to  frighten  the  bull, 
but  to  no  purpose  ;  I  had  shouted,  and  at  the  top  of  my  voice, 
in  hopes  that  I  might  be  heard  by  my  friend,  but  there  was  no 
response  except  the  echoes  of  my  own  voice,  borne  hoarsely 
through  the  aisles  of  the  winter  forest.  I  grew  impatient  of  my 
odd  captivity,  and  determined  to  stand  it  no  longer. 

"  Ou  stealing  a  glance  behind  me,  I  perceived  a  tree  as  large 
as  the  one  which  sheltered  me.  I  resolved  to  make  for  that  one, 
as  it  would  at  least  not  render  my  situation  worse  should  I  reach 
it  in  safety.  This  I  effected,  but  not  without  having  my  speed 
put  to  the  test,  for  the  moose  followed  so  close  as  almost  to 
touch  me  with  his  brow-antlers.  Once  behind  this  new  tree,  I 
was  no  better  off  than  before,  except  that  it  brought  me  some 
twenty  paces  nearer  home.  The  moose  still  stood  in  front  of  me 
only  a  few  feet  distant,  and  threatening  as  fiercely  as  ever. 

"  After  waiting  some  minutes  for  my  breath,  I  selected  a  third 
tree  in  the  right  direction,  and  made  for  it  in  a  similar  manner, 
the  moose  following  as  before. 

"  Another  rest  and  another  run  brought  me  behind  a  fresh 
tree,  and  another  and  another,  until  I  must  have  made  a  full 
mile  through  the  woods,  still  followed  by  my  implacable  and 
untiring  enemy.  I  knew,  however,  that  I  was  going  homeward, 
for  I  guided  myself  by  the  trail  which  we  had  made  in  the  chase. 

"  I  was  in  hopes  that  I  might  make  the  whole  back-journey 
in  this  way,  when,  all  once  I  perceived  that  the  heavy  timber 
came  to  an  end,  and  a  wide,  almost  open  tract  intersected  the 
country :  over  this  the  trees  were  small  stunted  pines,  far  apart, 
and  offering  no  hope  of  shelter  from  my  relentless  persecutor. 


264  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"I  had  no  alternative  now  but  to  remain  where  I  was,  an 
await  the  arrival  of  my  friend,  who,  I  presumed,  would  com 
after  rne  as  soon  as  he  had  finished  his  own  hunt. 

"  With  this  dubious  hope,  I  kept  my  stand,  although  I  wa 
ready  to  drop  Vith  fatigue.  To  add  to  my  misery,  it  commence' 
snowing.  I  saw  this  with  feelings  akin  to  terror,  for  I  kne^ 
that  the  snow  would  soon  blind  the  trail ;  and  how,  then,  wa 
my  friend  to  follow  it,  and  find  me  ?  The  bull  still  stood  befor 
ine  in  the  same  threatening  attitude,  occasionally  snorting 
striking  the  ground  with  his  hoofs,  and  ready  to  spring  after  m 
whenever  I  should  move.  Ever  as  I  changed  the  attitude  of  ru 
body,  he  would  start  forward  again,  until  I  could  almost  touc 
him  with  the  muzzle  of  my  gun. 

"  These  manoeuvres  on  his  part  suggested  to  me  an  exper; 
ment,  and  I  wondered  that  I  had  not  thought  of  it  before, 
was  not  long  in  resolving  to  carry  it  out.  I  was  armed  with  ; 
stout  hunting-knife,  a  bowie  :  it  was  pointed  as  sharp  as  ; 
needle  ;  and  could  I  only  have  ventured  near  enough  to  the  bull 
I  would  soon  have  settled  the  dispute  with  him.  The  idea  no\ 
occurred  to  me  of  converting  my  bowie  into  a  lance  by  splicing  i 
upon  the  barrel  of  my  gun.  With  this  I  had  hopes  of  bein; 
able  to  reach  my  powerful  assailant  without  coming  within  rang 
either  of  his  hoofs  or  horns. 

"  The  lance  was  soon  made,  a  pair  of  buckskin  gaiters  whic 
I  wore  furnished  me  with  thongs.     My  gun  happened  to  be 
long  rifle  ;    and  the  knife,  spliced  firmly  to  the  muzzle,  rec 
dered  it  a  formidable  weapon,   so   that   in  a   few  minutes 
stood  in   a   better   attitude   than   I   had   assumed   for   hour 
before. 

"  The  affair  soon  came  to  an  issue.  As  I  had  anticipated,  b; 
showing  myself  a  little  to  one  side  of  the  tree,  the  bull  spran< 
forward,  and  I  was  enabled,  by  a  dexterous  thurst,  to  plant  th 
knife  between  his  ribs.  It  entered  his  heart,  and  the  nex 


II 

If 


l 


I 


If 


HUNTING   THE   MCOSE.  265 

moment  I  saw  him  rolling  over,  and  kicking  the  crimsoned  snow 
around  him  in  the  struggles  of  death. 

"I  had  scarcely  completed  my  victory,  when  a  loud  whoop 
sounded  in  my  ears,  and  looking  up,  I  saw  my  friend  making 
towards  me  across  the  open  ground.  He  had  completed  his 
chase,  having  killed  all  three,  cut  them  up,  and  hung  their  meat 
upon  the  trees,  to  be  sent  for  on  our  return  to  the  house. 

"  By  his  aid  the  bull  was  disposed  of  in  a  similar  manner  ; 
and  being  now  satisfied  with  our  day's  sport — though  my  friend 
very  much  regretted  the  loss  of  his  fine  dog — we  commenced 
shuffling  homeward. 


II 


266  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST 


CHAPTER  XXIX. 

THE    PRAIRIE    WOLF    AND    WOLF    KILLER. 

AFTER  crossing  the  Marais  de  Cygnes  River  the  country 
became  much  more  open.  There  was  a  mixture  of  timber  and 
prairie  land — the  latter,  however,  constantly  gaining  the  ascen 
dancy  as  we  advanced  farther  west.  The  openings  became 
larger,  until  they  assumed  the  appearance  of  vast  meadows, 
inclosed  by  groves,  that  at  a  distance  resembled  gr"eat  hedges. 
Now  and  then  there  were  copses  that  stood  apart  from  the 
larger  tracts  of  forests,  looking  like  islands  upon  the  surface  of 
a  great  sea,  and  by  the  name  of  "islands"  these  detached 
groves  are  known  among  the  hunters  and  other  denizens  of 
prairie  land.  Sometimes  the  surface  was  undulating,  or,  as  it  is 
there  termed,  "  rolling,"  and  our  road  was  varied,  ascending  or 
descending,  as  we  crossed  the  gentle  declivities.  The  timber 
through  which  we  had  up  to  this  time  been  passing  consisted  of 
ash,  burr  oak,  black  walnut,  chestnut  oak,  buck  eye,  the  Ameri 
can  elm,  hickory,  hack  berry,  sumach,  and,  in  low  moist  places, 
the  sycamore,  and  long-leaved  willow.  These  trees,  with  many 
others,  form  the  principal  growth  of  the  large  forests,  upon  the 
banks  of  the  Mississippi,  both  east  and  west. 

As  we  advanced  westward,  Besai^on  called  our  attention  to 
the  fact  that  all  these  kinds  of  timber,  one  by  one,  disappeared 
from  the  landscape,  and  in  their  place  a  single  species  alone 
made  up  the  larger  growth  of  the  forest.  This  was  the  cele 
brated  "cotton-wood,"  a  species  of  poplar  (Populus  angula,' 
tus).  I  say  celebrated,  because,  being  almost  the  only  tree  of 


THE    PRAIRIE    WOLF    AND    WOLF    KILLER.  26 Y 

large  size  which  is  found  throughout  the  region  of  the  great 
plains,  it  is  well  known  to  all  hunters  and  prairie  travellers,  who 
regard  it  with  a  peculiar  veneration.  A  grove  of  cotton-wood  is 
always  a  glad  sight  to  those  who  traverse  the  limitless  levels  of 
the  prairie.  It  promises  shelter  from  the  wind  or  sun,  wood  for 
the  camp-fire,  and,  above  all,  water  to  slake  the  thirst.  As  the 
ocean  mariner  regards  the  sight  of  the  welcome  port,  with  similar 
feelings  of  joy  the  mariner  of  the  "  prairie-sea"  beholds,  over 
the  broad  waste,  the  silvery  foliage  of  the  cotton-wood  grove, 
regarding  it  as  his  temporary  home — his  place  of  rest  and 
refuge. 

After  travelling  through  hundreds  of  small  prairies,  separated 
from  each  other  by  groves  of  cotton-wood,  we  arrived  at  a  high 
point  on  the  waters  ok  .the  "Little  Osage,"  another  tributary 
of  the  larger  river  of  that  name.  As  yet  we  had  met  with  no 
traces  of  the  buffalo,  and  were  beginning  to  doubt  the  correct 
ness  of  the  information  we  had  received  at  St.  Louis,  when  we 
fell  in  with  a  band  of  Kanzas  Indians — a  friendly  tribe — who 
received  us  in  the  most  courteous  manner.  From  them  we 
learned  that  the  buffalo  had  been  upon  the  Little  Osage  at  an 
earlier  period  in  that  same  year,  but  that  harassed  and  deci 
mated  by  their  own  hunters,  they  had  roamed  much  farther 
west,  arid'were  now  supposed  to  be  on  the  other  side  of  the 
"Neosho,"  or  Grand  River — a  northern  tributary  of  the 
Arkansas. 

This  was  anything  but  pleasant  news.  We  should  have  at 
least  another  hundred  miles  to  travel  before  coming  up  with  our 
game ;  but  there  was  no  thought  of  going  back  until  we  had 
done  so.  No,  One  and  all  declared,  that  rather  than  give  up 
the  object  of  our  expedition,  we  would  travel  on  to  the  Rocky 
Mountains  themselves,  risking  the  chances  of  being  scalped  by 
hostile  Indians. 

There  was  a  good  deal  of  bravado  in  this,  it  is  true  ;  but  we 


268 


were  fully  determined  that  we  would  not  go  back  without  our 
buffalo  hunt. 

Thanking  our  Kanzas  friends  for  their  courtesy,  we  parted 
from  them,  and  headed  westward  for  the  Neosho. 

As  we  proceeded,  timber  became  scarce,  until  at  length  it  was 
found  only  on  the  banks  of  streams  widely  distant  from  each 
other.  Sometimes  not  a  tree  was  in  sight  for  the  whole  day's 
journey.  We  were  now  fairly  on  the  prairies. 

We  crossed  the  Neosho  at  length — still  no  buffalo. 

We  kept  on,  and  crossed  several  other  large  streams,  all  flow 
ing  south-easterly  to  the  Arkansas.  Still  no  buffalo. 

We  began  to  yearn  exceedingly  for  a  sight  of  the  great  game. 
The  few  deer  that  were  killed  from  time  to  time  offered  us  but 
poor  sport,  and  their  meat  was  not  sufficient  for  our  supply. 

Of  bacon  we  were  heartily  tired,  and  we  longed  for  fresh  buf- 
Salo  beef.  The  praises  lavished  by  our  guides  upon  the  delicacy 
of  this  viand — their  talk  over  the  camp-fire,  about  "  fat  cow  " 
and  "  boudins  "  and  "  hump-ribs  "  quite  tantalized  our  palates, 
and  we  were  all  eager  to  try  our  teeth  upon  these  vaunted 
titbits.  No  buffalo  appeared  yet,  and  we  were  forced  to  chew 
our  bacon,  as  well  as  our  impatience,  for  several  days  longer. 

A  great  change  now  took  place  in  the  appearance  of  the  coun 
try.  The  timber  became  still  more  scarce,  and  the  soil  drier  and 
more  sandy.  Species  of  cactus  (opuntia)  appeared  along  the 
route,  with  several  other  plants  new  to  the  eyes  of  most  of  us, 
and  which  to  those  of  Besancon  were  objects  of  extreme  interest. 
But  that  which  most  gratified  us  was  the  appearance  of  a  new 
herbage,  different  entirely  from  what  we  had  been  passing  over, 
and  this  was  hailed  by  our  guides  with  exclamations  of  joy.  It 
was  the  celebrated  "  buffalo  grass."  The  trappers  declared  we 
would  not  have  much  farther  to  go  until  we  found  the  buffaloes 
themselves,  for,  wherever  this  grass  existed  in  plenty,  the  buf 
falo,  unless  driven  off  by  hunting,  were  sure  to  be  found. 


THE   PRAIRIE    WOLF   AND   WOLF   KILLER.  269 

The  buffalo  grass  is  a  short  grass,  not  more  than  a  few  inches 
in  height,  with  crooked  and  pointed  culms,  often  throwing  out 
suckers  that  root  again,  and  produce  other  leaves  and  culms,  and 
in  this  way  form  a  tolerably  thick  sward.  When  in  flower  or 
seed,  it  is  headed  by  numerous  spikes  of  half  an  inch  in  length, 
and  on  these  the  spikelets  are  regular  and  two  rowed. 

It  is  a  species  of  Sesleria,  (S.  dactyloides),  but  Besan£on 
informed  us  that  it  possesses  characters  that  cause  it  to  differ 
from  the  genus,  and  to  resemble  the  Chondrosium. 

The  buffalo  grass  is  not  to  be  confounded  with  another  cele 
brated  grass  of  the  Texan  and  North  Mexican  prairies,  the 
"gramma"  of  the  Spaniards.  This  last  is  a  true  Chondrosium, 
and  there  are  several  species  of  it.  The  Chondrosium  faneum 
is  one  of  the  finest  fodders  in  the  world  for  the  food  of  cattle, 
almost  equal  to  unthrashed  oats. 

The  buffalo  grass  forms  the  favourite  and  principal  fodder  of 
the  buffaloes  whenever  it  is  in  season,  and  these  animals  roam 
over  the  prairies  in  search  of  it. 

Of  course  with  this  knowledge  we  were  now  on  the  qui  vive. 
At  every  new  rise  that  we  made  over  the  swells  of  the  prairie 
our  eyes  were  busy,  and  swept  the  surface  on  every  side  of  us, 
and  in  the  course  of  a  few  days  we  encountered  several  false 
alarms. 

There  is  an  hallucination  peculiar  to  the  clear  atmosphere  of 
these  regions.  Objects  are  not  only  magnified,  but  frequently 
distorted  in  their  outlines,  and  it  is  only  an  old  hunter  that 
knows  a  buffalo  when  he  sees  one.  By  others  a  bush  is  often 
taken  for  a  wild  bull,  and  with  us  a  brace  of  carrion  crows, 
seated  upon  the  crest  of  a  ridge,  were  actually  thought  to  be 
buffaloes,  until  they  suddenly  took  wing  and  rose  into  the  air, 
thus  dispelling  the  allusion  ! 

Long  before  this  time  we  had  encountered  that  well-known 
animal  of  the  great  plains — the  "  prairie  wolf," — (Lv,pw 
latrans] . 


270  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

The  prairie-wolf  inhabits  the  vast  and  still  unpeopled  (crrito* 
ries  that  lie  between  the  Mississippi  River  and  the  shores  of  the 
Pacific  Ocean.  Its  range  extends  beyond  -what  is  strictly 
termed  "  the  prairies/''  It  is  found  in  the  wooded  and  moun 
tainous  ravines  of  California  and  the  Rocky  Mountain  districts. 
It  is  common  throughout  the  whole  of  Mexico,  where  it  is  known 
as  the  "coyote."  I  have  seen  numbers  of  this  species  on  the 
battle-field,  tearing  at  corpses,  as  far  south  as  the  valley  of 
Mexico  itself.  Its  name  of  prairie-wolf  is,  therefore,  in  some 
respects  inappropriate,  the  more  so,  as  the  larger  wolves  are 
also  inhabitants  of  the  prairie.  No  doubt  this  name  was  given 
it,  because  the  animal  was  first  observed  in  the  prairie  country 
west  of  the  Mississippi  by  the  early  explorers  of  that  region. 
In  the  wooded  countries  east  of  the  great  river,  the  common 
large  wolf  is  only  known. 

Whatever  doubt  there  may  be  of  the  many  varieties  of  the 
large  wolf  being  distinct  species,  there  can  be  none  with  regard 
to  the  Lupus  latrans.  It  differs  from  all  the  others  in  size,  and 
in  many  of  its  habits.  Perhaps  it  more  nearly  resembles  the 
jackal  than  any  other  animal.  It  is  the  New-World  representa 
tive  of  that  celebrated  creature. 

In  size,  it  is  just  midway  between  the  large  wolf  and  fox. 
With  much  of  the  appearance  of  the  former,  it  combines  all  the 
sagacity  of  the  latter.  It  is  usually  of  a  greyish  colour,  lighter 
or  darker,  according  to  circumstances,  and  with  a  tinge  of  cin 
namon  or  brown. 

As  regards  its  cunning,  the  fox  is  "  but  a  fool  to  it."  It  can 
not  be  trapped.  Some  experiments  made  for  the  purpose  show 
results  that  throw  the  theory  of  instinct  quite  into  the  back 
ground.  It  has  been  known  to  burrow  under  a  "  dead-fall,"  and 
drag  off  the  bait  without  springing  the  trap.  The  steel-trap  it 
avoids,  no  matter  how  concealed  ;  and  the  cage-trap  has  been 
found  "  no  go." 

Farther  illustrations  of  the  cunning  of  the  prairie-wolf  might 


THE    PRAIRIE   WOLF   AND   WOLF   KILLER.  2*11 

be  found  in  its  mode  of  decoying  within  reach  the  antelopes  and 
other  creatures  on  which  it  preys. 

Of  course  this  species  is  as  much  fox  as  wolf,  for  in  reality  a 
small  wolf  is  a  fox,  and  a  large  fox  is  a  wolf.  To  the  traveller 
and  trapper  of  the  prairie  regions,  it  is  a  pest.  It  robs  the  for 
mer  of  his  provisions — often  stealing  them  out  of  his  very  tent ; 
it  unbaits  the  traps  of  the  latter,  or  devours  the  game  already 
secured  in  them. 

It  is  a  constant  attendant  upon  the  caravans  or  travelling- 
parties  that  cross  the  prairie-land.  A  pack  of  prairie-wolves 
will  follow  such  a  party  for  hundreds  of  miles,  in  order  to  secure 
the  refuse  left  at  the  camps.  They  usually  lie  down  upon  the 
prairie,  just  out  of  range  of  the  rifles  of  the  travellers  ;  yet  they 
do  not  observe  this  rule  always,  as  they  know  there  is  not  much 
danger  of  being  molested.  Hunters  rarely  shoot  them,  not 
deeming  their  hides  worth  having,  and  not  caring  to  waste  a 
charge  upon  them.  They  are  more  cautious  when  following  a 
caravan  of  California  emigrants,  where  there  are  plenty  of 
"  greenhorns "  and  amateur-hunters  ready  to  fire  at  any 
thing. 

Prairie-wolves  are  also  constant  attendants  upon  the  " gangs" 
of  buffalo.  They  follow  these  for  hundreds  of  miles — 
in  fact,  the  outskirts  of  the  buffalo  herd  are,  for  the  time  being, 
their  home.  They  lie  down  on  the  prairie  at  a  short  distance 
from  the  buffaloes,  and  wait  and  watch,  in  hopes  that  some  of 
these  animals  may  get  disabled  or  separated  from  the  rest,  or 
with  the  expectation  that  a  cow  with  her  new-dropped  calf  may 
fall  in  the  rear.  In  such  cases,  the  pack  gather  round  the  unfor 
tunate  individual,  and  worry  it  to  death.  A  wounded  or  super 
annuated  bull  sometimes  "  falls  out,"  and  is  attacked.  In  this 
case  the  fight  is  more  desperate,  and  the  bull  is  sadly  mutilated 
before  he  can  be  brought  to  the  ground.  Several  wolves,  too, 
are  laid  hors  de  combat  during  the  struggle. 


2^2  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

The  prairie  traveller  may  often  look  around  him  without  see 
ing  a  single  wolf ;  but  let  him  fire  off  his  gun,  and.  as  if  by 
magic,  a  score  of  them  will  suddenly  appear.  They  start  from 
their  hiding-places,  and  rush  forward  in  hopes  of  sharing  in  the 
produce  of  the  shot. 

At  night,  they  enliven  the  prairie-camp  with  their  dismal  howl 
ing,  although  most  travellers  would  gladly  dispense  with  such 
music.  Their  note  is  a  bark  like  that  of  a  terrier-dog,  repeated 
three  times,  and  then  prolonged  into  a  true  wolfs  howl.  I  have 
heard  farm-house  dogs  utter  a  very  similar  bark.  From  this 
peculiarity,  some  naturalists  prefer  calling  them  the  "  barking 
wolf,"  and  that  (Lupus  latrans)  is  the  specific  appellation  given 
by  Say,  who  first  described  them. 

Prairie-wolves  have  all  the  ferocity  of  their  race,  but  no  crea 
ture  could  be  more  cowardly.  Of  course  no  one  fears  them 
under  ordinary  circumstances,  but  they  have  been  known  to 
make  a  combined  attack  upon  persons  disabled,  and  in  severe 
weather,  when  they  themselves  were  rendered  unusually  savage 
by  hunger,  as  already  stated.  But  they  are  not  regarded  with 
fear  either  by  traveller  or  hunter  ;  and  the  latter  disdains  to 
waste  his  charge  upon  such  worthless  game. 

Our  guide,  Ike,  was  an  exception  to  this  rule.  He  was  the 
only  one  of  his  sort  that  shot  prairie-wolves,  and  he  did  so,  "  on 
sight."  I  believe  if  it  had  been  the  last  bullet  in  his  pouch,  and 
an  opportunity  bad  offered  of  sending  it  into  a  prairie-wolf,  he 
would  have  despatched  the  leaden  missile.  We  asked  him  how 
many  he  had  killed  in  his  time.  He  drew  a  small  notched  stick 
from  his  "  possible  sack,"  and  desired  us  to  count  the  notches 
upon  it.  We  did  so.  There  were  one  hundred  and  forty-five 
in  all. 

"  Have  you  killed  one  hundred  and  forty-five,  then  ?"  cried 
we,  astonished  at  the  number. 

"  Yes,  i'deed,"  replied  he,  with  a  quiet  chuckle,  "  that  many 


THE    PRAIRIE    WOLF   AND   WOLF   KILLER.  213 

dozen  ;  for  every  7un  of  them  nutches  count  twelve.     I  only 
make  a  nutch  when  I've  throwed  the  clur  dozen," 

"  A  hundred  and  forty-five  dozen  !"  we  repeated  in  astonish 
ment  ;  and  yet  I  have  no  doubt  of  the  truth  of  the  trapper's 
statement,  for  he  had  no  interest  in  deceiving  us.  I  am  satisfied 
from  what  I  knew  of  him,  that  he  had  slain  the  full  number 
stated — one  thousand  seven  hundred  and  forty  ! 

Of  course  we  became  curious  to  learn  the  cause  of  his  anti 
pathy  to  prairie-wolves  ;  for  we  knew  he  had  an  antipathy,  and 
it  was  that  that  had  induced  him  to  commit  such  wholesale 
havoc  upon  these  creatures.  It  was  for  this  circumstance  he 
had  obtained  the  sobriquet  of  "  wolf-killer."  By  careful  man 
agement,  we  at  last  got  him  upon  the  edge  of  the  story,  and 
quietly  pushed  him  into  it.  He  gave  it  to  us  as  follows  : — 

"  Wai,  strangers,  about  ten  winters  agone,  I  wur  travellin' 
from  Bent's  Fort  on  the  Arkensaw,  to  'Laramie  on  the  Platte, 
all  alone  b'  myself.  I  had  undertuk  the  journey  on  some  busi 
ness  for  Bill  Bent — no  matter  now  what. 

"  I  had  crossed  the  divide,  and  got  within  sight  o'  the  Black 
Hills,  when  one  night  I  had  to  camp  out  on  the  open  parairy 
without  either  bush  or  stone  to  shelter  me. 

"  That  wur,  perhaps,  the  coldest  night  this  nigger  remembers, 
thur  wur  a  wind  kim  down  from  the  mountains  that  wud  a  frozt 
the  har  off  an  iron  dog.  I  gathered  my  blanket  around  me,  bu) 
that  wind  whistled  through  it  as  if  it  had  been  a  rail-fence. 

"  'Twan't  no  use  lyin'  down,  for  I  couldn't  a  slep,  so  I  sot  up 

"  You  may  ask  why  I  hadn't  a  fire  ?  I'll  tell  you  why 
Fust,  thur  wan't  a  stick  o'  timber  within  ten  mile  of  me  ;  and. 
secondly,  if  thur  had  been  I  dasen't  a  made  a  fire.  I  wui 
travellin'  as  bad  a  bit  o'  Injun  ground  as  could  been  found  in  all 
the  country,  and  I'd  seen  Injun  sign  two  or  three  times  that 
same  day.  It's  true  thur  wur  a  good  grist  o'  buffler  chips  about, 
tol'ably  dry,  and  mout  have  made  some  sort  o'  a  fire  out  o'  that ; 

12* 


2T4  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

last  I  did  make  a  fire  arter  a  fashion.     I  did  it  this  "a 


way. 

"  Seeing  that  with  the  cussed  cold  I  wan't  agoin'  to  get  a 
wink  o'  sleep,  I  gathered  a  wheen  o'  the  buffler  chips.  I  then 
dug  a  hole  in  the  ground  with  my  bowie,  an'  hard  pickin?  that 
wur  ;  but  I  got  through  the  crust  at  last,  and  made  a  sort  o' 
oven  about  a  fut,  or  a  fut  and  a  half  deep.  At  the  bottom  I 
laid  some  dry  grass  and  dead  branches  o'  sage  plant,  and  then 
settin'  it  afire,  I  piled  the  bnffler-chips  on  top.  The  thing  burnt 
tol'able  well,  but  the  smoke  o'  the  buffler-dung  would  a  choked 
a  skunk. 

"  As  soon  as  it  had  got  fairly  under  way,  I  hunkered,  an'  sot 
down  over  the  hole,  in  sich  a  position  as  to  catch  all  the  heat 
under  my  blanket,  an',  then  I  was  comf  table  enough.  Of  coorse 
no  Injun  kud  see  the  smoke  arter  night,  an  it  would  a  tuk  sharp 
eyes  to  have  sighted  the  fire,  I  reckon. 

"  Wai,  strengers,  the  critter  I  rode  wur  a  young  mustang 
colt,  about  half-broke.  I  had  bought  him  from  a  Mexikin  at 
Bent's  only  the  week  afore,  and  it  wur  his  fust  journey,  leastwise 
with  me.  Of  coorse  I  had  him  on  the  lariat  ;  but  up  to  this 
time  I  had  kept  the  eend  o'  the  rope  in  my  hand,  because  I  had 
that  same  day  lost  my  picket  pin  ;  an'  thinkin  as  I  wan't  agoin' 
to  sleep,  I  mout  as  well  hold  on  to  it. 

"  By  'm  by,  however,  I  begun  to  feel  drowsy.  The  fire 
atween  my  legs  promised  to  keep  me  from  freezin,'  an'  I  thort  I 
mout  as  well  take  a  nap.  So  I  tied  the  lariat  round  my  ankles, 
sunk  my  head  atween  my  knees,  an'  in  the  twinklin  o'  a  goat's 
tail  I  wur  sound.  I  jest  noticed  as  I  wur  goin'  off,  that  the 
mustang  wur  out  some  yards,  nibblin'  away  at  the  dry  grass  o' 
the  parairy. 

"  I  guess  I  must  a  slep  about  an  hour,  or  tharabouts  —  I  wont 
be  sartint  how  long.  I  only  know  that  I  didn't  wake  o'  my 
own  accor4-  I  wur  awoke  ;  an'  when  I  did  awoke,  I  still  thort 


THE    PRAIRIE    WOLF    AND    WOLF    KILLER.  215 

I  wur  a  dreamin'.     It  would  a  been  a  rough  dream  ;  but  unfort'- 
nately  for  me,  it  wan't  a  dream,  but  a  jenwine  reality. 

"  At  fust,  I  cudn't  make  out  what  wur  the  matter  wi;  me  no 
how  ;  an'  then  I  thort  I  wur  in  the  hands  o'  the  Injuns,  who 
were  draggin'  me  over  the  parairy  ;  an'  sure  enough  I  wur  a 
drag-gin'  that  a  way,  though  not  by  Injuns.  Once  or  twice  I 
lay  still  for  jest  a  second  or  two,  an'  then  away  I  went  agin, 
trailin'  and  bumpin'  over  the  ground,  as  if  I  had  been  tied  to 
the  tail  o'  a  gallopin'  hoss.  All  the  while  there  wur  a  yellin'  in 
my  ears  as  if  all  the  cats  an'  dogs  of  creation  were  arter  me. 

"  Wai,  it  wur  some  time  afore  I  compre'nded  what  all  this 
rough  usage  meant.  I  did  at  last.  The  pull  upon  my  ankles 
gave  me  the  idea.  It  wur  the  lariat  that  wur  round  them.  My 
mustang  had  stampedoed,  and  wur  draggiu'  me  at  full  gallop 
acrosst  the  parairy  ! 

"  The  barkin',  an'  howlin',  an'  yelpiu'  I  heerd,  wur  a  pack  o' 
parairy-wolves.  Half-famished,  they  had  attacked  the  mustang, 
and  started  him. 

"  All  this  kim  into  my  mind  at  once.  You'll  say  it  wur  easy 
to  lay  hold  on  the  rope,  an'  stop  the  hoss.  So  it  mout  appear 
but  I  kin  tell  you  that  it  ain't  so  easy  a  thing.  It  wan't  so  to 
me.  My  ankles  were  in  a  noose,  an'  wur  drawed  clost  together. 

Of  coorse,  while  I  wur  movin'  along,  I  couldn't  get  to  my 
feet  ;  an'  whenever  the  mustang  kim  to  a  halt,  an'  I  had  half- 
gathered  myself,  afore  I  kud  reach  the  rope,  away  went  the 
critter  agin,  flingin'  me  to  the  ground  at  full  length.  Another 
thing  hindered  me.  Afore  goin'  to  sleep,  I  had  put  my  blanket 
on  Mexikin-fashion — that  is,  wi'  my  head  through  a  slit  in  the 
centre — an'  as  the  drag  begun,  the  blanket  flopped  about  my 
face,  an'  half-smothered  me.  Perhaps,  however,  an'  I  thort  so 
arterwurd,  that  blanket  saved  me  many  a  scratch,  although  it 
bamfoozled  me  a  good  bit. 

"I  got  the  blanket  off  at  last,  arter  I  had  made  about  a  mile, 


276  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

I  reckon,  and  then  for  the  fust  time  I  could  see  about  me 
Such  a  sight!  The  moon  wur  up,  an'  I  kud  see  that  the  ground 
wur  white  with  snow.  It  had  snowed  while  I  wur  asleep;  but 
that  wan't  the  sight — the  sight  wur,  that  clost  up  an'  around 
me  the  hul  parairy  wur  kivered  with  wolves — cussed  parairy- 
wolves  1  I  kud  see  their  long  tongues  lollin'  out,  an'  the  smoke 
steamin'  from  their  open  mouths. 

"Bern'  now  no  longer  hampered  by  the  blanket,  I  made  the 
best  use  I  could  o'  my  arms.  Twice  I  got  hold  o'  the  lariat,  but 
afore  I  kud  set  myself  to  pull  up  the  runnin'  hoss,  it  wur  j irked 
out  o'  my  hand  agin. 

"Somehow  or  other,  I  had  got  clutch  o'  my  bowie,  and  at  the 
next  opportunity  I  made  a  cut  at  the  rope,  and  heerd  the  clean 
'snig'  o'  the  knife.  Arter  that  I  lay  quiet  on  the  parairy,  an'  I 
b'lieve  I  kinder  sort  o'  fainted. 

"'Twan't  a  long  faint  no  how;  for  when  I  got  over  it,  I  kud 
see  the  mustang  about  a  half  a  mile  off,  still  runnin'  as  fast  as  his 
legs  could  carry  him,  an'  most  of  the  wolves  howlin'  arter  him. 
A  few  of  these  critters  had  gathered  about  me,  but  gettin'  to  my 
feet,  I  made  a  dash  among  them  wi'  the  shinin'  bowie,  and  sent 
them  every  which  way,  I  reckon. 

"I  watched  the  mustang  until  he  wur  clur  out  o'  sight,  an' 
then  I  wur  puzzled  what  to  do.  Fust,  I  went  back  for  my 
blanket,  which  I  soon  rekivered,  an'  then  I  follered  the  back 
track  to  get  my  gun  an'  other  traps  whur  I  had  camped.  The 
trail  wur  easy,  on  account  o'  the  snow,  an'  I  kud  see  whur  I  had 
slipped  through  it  all  the  way. 

"Having  got  my  possibles,  I  then  tuk  arter  the  mustang,  and 
follered  for  at  least  ten  miles  on  his  tracks,  but  I  never  see'd 
that  mustang  agin.  Whether  the  wolves  hunted  him  down  or 
not,  I  can't  say,  nor  I  don't  care  if  they  did,  the  scarey  brute !  I 
see'd  their  feet  all  the  way  arter  him  in  the  snow,  and  1  know'd 
it  wur  no  use  follering  further.  It  wur  plain  I  wur  put  down  on 


THE   PRAIRIE   WOLF   AND    WOLF   KILLER.  21 T 

the  parairy,  so  I  bundled  my  possibles,  and  turned  bead  for 
Laramie's  afoot.  I  had  a  three  days'  walk  o'  it,  and  prehaps  I 
didn't  cuss  a  few. 

"I  wur  right  bad  used.  Thur  warn't  a  bone  in  my  body  that 
didn't  ache,  as  if  I  had  been  passed  through  a  sugar-mill;  and 
my  clothes  and  skin  were  torn  consid'ably.  It  mout  a  been  wuss, 
but  for  the  blanket  an'  the  sprinkle  o'  snow  that  made  the  ground 
a  leetle  slickerer. 

"Howsomever,  I  got  safe  to  the  Fort,  whur  I  wur  soon  rigged 
out  in  a  fresh  suit  o'  buckskin  an'  a  hoss. 

'But  I  never  arterward  see'd  a  parairy-wolf  within  range  o* 
my  rifle,  that  I  didn't  let  into  him,  an'  as  you  see,  I've  throwed 
a  good  wheen  in  their  tracks  since  then.  Wagh!  Haint  I? 
Mark?" 


278 


CHAPTER   XXX. 

HUNTING   THE    TAPIR. 

AT  one  of  our  prairie-camps  our  English  comrade  furnished 
us  with  the  following  account  of  that  strange  creature,  the  tapir. 

"  No  one  who  has  turned  over  the  pages  of  a  picture-book  of 
mammalia  will  be  likely  to  forget  the  odd-looking  animal  known 
as  the  tapir.  Its  long  proboscis-like  snout,  its  stiff-maned  neck, 
and  clumsy  hog-like  body,  render  the  tout  ensemble  of  this 
creature  so  peculiar,  that  there  is  no  mistaking  it  for  any  other 
animal. 

"  When  full  grown,  the  tapir,  or  anta,  as  it  is  sometimes 
called,  is  six  feet  in  length  by  four  in  height — its  weight  being 
nearly  equal  to  that  of  a  small  bullock.  Its  teeth  resemble  those 
of  the  horse ;  but  instead  of  hoofs,  its  feet  are  toed — the  fore 
ones  having  four  toes,  while  the  hind  feet  have  only  three  each. 
The  eyes  are  small  and  lateral,  while  the  ears  are  large  and 
pointed.  The  skin  is  thick,  somewhat  like  that  of  the  hippopo 
tamus,  with  a  very  thin  scattering  of  silky  hairs  over  it ;  but 
along  the  ridge  of  the  neck,  and  upon  the  short  tail,  the  hairs 
are  longer  and  more  profuse.  The  upper  jaw  protrudes  far 
beyond  the  extremity  of  the  under  one.  It  is,  moreover,  highly 
prehensile,  and  enables  the  tapir  to  seize  the  roots  upon  which  it 
feeds  with  greater  ease.  In  fact,  it  plays  the  part  of  the 
elephant's  proboscis  to  a  limited  degree. 

"  Although  the  largest  quadruped  indigenous  to  South  Ame 
rica,  the  tapir  is  not  very  well  known  to  naturalists.  Its  haunts 
are  far  beyond  the  borders  of  civilization.  It  is,  moreover,  a  shy 


HUNTING   THE   TAPIR.  279 

and  solitary  creature,  and  its  active  life  is  mostly  nocturnal  y 
hence  no  great  opportunity  is  offered  for  observing  its  habits. 
The  chapter  of  its  natural  history  is  therefore  a  short  one. 

"  The  tapir  is  an  inhabitant  of  the  tropical  countries  of  Ame 
rica,  dwelling  near  the  banks  of  rivers  and  marshy  lagoons.  It 
is  the  American  representative  of  the  rhinoceros  and  hippopota 
mus,  or,  more  properly,  of  the  maiba,  or  Indian  tapir  ( Tapirus 
Indicus)  of  Sumatra,  which  h/is  but  lately  become  known  to 
naturalists.  The  latter,  in  fact,  is  a  near  congener,  and  very 
much  resembles  the  tapir  of  South  America. 

"  The  tapir  is  amphibious — that  is,  it  frequents  the  water,  can 
swim  and  dive  Well,  and  generally  seeks  its  food  in  the  water  or 
tne  soft  marshy  sedge  ;  but  when  in  repose,  it  is  a  land  animal, 
making  its  haunt  in  thick  coverts  of  the  woods,  and  selecting  a 
dry  spot  for  its  lair.  Here  it  will  remain  couched  and  asleep 
during  the  greater  part  of  the  day.  At  nightfall,  it  steals  forth, 
and  following  an  old  and  well-used  path,  it  approaches  the  bank* 
of  some  river,  and  plunging  in,  swims  off  in  search  of  its  food — 
the  roots  and  stems  of  several  species  of  water-plants.  In  this 
business  it  occupies  most  of  the  hours  of  darkness  ;  but  at  day 
break,  it  swims  back  to  the  place  where  it  entered  the  water, 
and  going  out,  takes  the  '  back  track'  where  it  sleeps  until  sun 
set  again  warns  it  forth. 

"  Sometimes  during  rain,  it  leaves  its  den  even  at  mid-day. 
On  such  occasions,  it  proceeds  to  the  river  or  the  adjacent 
swamp,  where  it  delights  to  wallow  in  the  mud,  after  the  manner 
of  the  hogs,  and  often  for  hours  together.  Unlike  the  hog,  how 
ever,  the  tapir  is  a  cleanly  animal.  After  wallowing,  it  never 
returns  to  its  den  until  it  has  first  plunged  into  the  clear  water, 
and  washed  the  rnud  thoroughly  from  its  skin. 

"  It  usually  travels  at  a  trot,  but  when  hard  pressed,  it  can 
gallop.  Its  gallop  is  peculiar.  The  fore-legs  are  thrown  far  in 
advance,  and  the  head  is  carried  between  them  in  a  very 


280  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

awkward  manner,  somewhat  after  the  fashion  of  a  frolicsome 
donkey. 

"  The  tapir  is  strictly  a  vegetable  feeder.  It  lives  upon  flags 
and  roots  of  aquatic  plants.  Several  kinds  of  fruits,  and  young 
succulent  branches  of  trees,  form  a  portion  of  its  food. 

"  It  is  a  shy,  timid  animal,  without  any  malice  in  its  charac 
ter  ;  and  although  possessed  of  great  strength,  never  uses  it 
except  for  defence,  and  then  only  in  endeavours  to  escape.  It 
frequently  suffers  itself  to  be  killed  without  making  any  defence, 
although  with  its  great  strength  and  well-furnished  jaws  it  might 
do  serious  hurt  to  an  enemy. 

"The  hunt  of  the  tapir  is  one  of  the  amusements,  or  rather 
employments  of  the  South  American  Indians.  Not  that  the  flesh 
of  this  animal  is  so  eagerly  desired  by  them  :  on  the  contrary, 
it  is  dry,  and  has  a  disagreeable  taste,  and  there  are  some  tribes 
who  will  not  eat  of  it,  preferring  the  monkeys,  macaws,  and  the 
armadillo.  But  the  part  most  prized  is  the  thick,  tough  skin, 
which  is  employed  by  the  Indians  in  making  shields,  sandals, 
and  various  other  articles.  This  is  the  more  valuable  in  a  coun 
try  where  the  thick-skinned  and  leather-yielding  mammalia  are 
almost  unknown. 

"  Slaying  the  tapir  is  no  easy  matter.  The  creature  is  shy  ; 
and  having  the  advantage  of  the  watery  element,  is  often  enabled 
to  dive  beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit,  and  thus  escape  by  conceal 
ing  itself.  Among  most  of  the  native  tribes  of  South  America, 
the  young  hunter  who  has  killed  a  tapir  is  looked  upon  as 
having  achieved  something  to  be  proud  of. 

"  The  tapir  is  hunted  by  bow  and  arrow,  or  by  the  gun 
Sometimes  the  '  gravatana/  or  blow-tube,  is  employed,  with  its 
poisoned  darts.  In  any  case,  the  hunter  either  lies  in  wait  for 
his  prey,  or  with  a  pack  of  dogs  drives  it  out  of  the  underwood, 
and  takes  the  chances  of  a  '  flying  shpt.' 

"  When  the  trail  of  a  tapir  has  been  discovered,  its  capture 


HUNTING    THE    TAPIR.  281 

becomes  easy.  It  is  well  known  to  the  hunter  that  this  animal, 
when  proceeding  from  its  lair  to  the  water  and  returning, 
always  follows  its  old  track  until  a  beaten  path  is  made,  which 
is  easily  discernible. 

"  This  path  often  betrays  the  tapir,  and  leads  to  its  destruc 
tion. 

"  Sometimes  the  hunter  accomplishes  this  by  means  of  a  pit 
fall,  covered  with  branches  and  palm-leaves  ;  at  other  times,  he 
places  himself  in  ambuscade,  either  before  twilight  or  in  the  early 
morning,  and  shoots  the  unsuspecting  animal  as  it  approaches 
on  its  daily  round. 

"  Sometimes,  when  the  whereabouts  of  a  tapir  has  been  dis 
covered,  a  whole  tribe  sally  out,  and  take  part  in  the  hunt. 
Such  a  hunt  I  myself  witnessed  on  one  of  the  tributaries  of  the 
Amazon. 

"  In  the  year  18 — ,  I  paid  a  visit  to  the  Jurunas  up  the  Xingu. 
Their  maloccas  (palm-hut  villages)  lie  beyond  the  falls  of  that 
river.  Although  classed  as  *  wild  Indians,'  the  Jurunas  are  a 
mild  race,  friendly  to  the  traders,  and  collect  during  a  season 
considerable  quantities  of  seringa  (Indian-rubber),  sarsaparilla, 
as  well  as  rare  birds,  monkeys,  and  Brazil-nuts — the  objects  of 
Portuguese  trade. 

"  I  was  about  to  start  back  for  Para,  when  nothing  would 
serve  the  tuxava,  or  chief,  of  one  of  the  maloccas,  but  that  I 
should  stay  a  day  or  two  at  his  village,  and  take  part  in  some 
festivities.  He  promised  a  tapir-hunt. 

"  As  I  knew  that  among  the  Jurunas  were  some  skilled  hun 
ters,  and  as  I  was  curious  to  witness  an  affair  of  this  kind,  I  con 
sented.  The  hunt  was  to  come  off  on  the  second  day  of  my  stay. 

"The  morning  arrived,  and  the  hunters  assembled,  to  the 
number  of  forty  or  fifty,  in  an  open  space  by  the  malocca ;  and 
having  got  their  arms  and  equipments  in  readiness,  all  repaired 
to  the  praya,  or  narrow  beach  of  sand,  which  separated  the 


282  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

river  -from  the  fti'ok  underwood  of  the  forest.  Here  some 
twenty  or  thirty  ubas  (canoes  hollowed  out  of  tree-trunks,' 
floated  on  the  water,  ready  to  receive  the  hunters.  They  were 
of  different  sizes;  some  capable  of  containing  half-a-dozen,  while 
others  were  meant  to  carry  only  a  single  person. 

"In  a  few  minutes  the  ubas  were  freighted  with  their  living 
cargoes,  consisting  not  only  of  the  hunters,  but  of  most  of  the 
women  and  boys  of  the  malocca,  with  a- score  or  two  of  dogs. 

"These  dogs  were  curious  creatures  to  look  at.  A  stranger, 
ignorant  of  the  customs  of  the  Jurunas,  would  have  been  at 
some  loss  to  account  for  the  peculiarity  of  their  colour.  Such 
dogs  I  had  never  seen  before.  Some  were  of  a  bright  scarlet, 
others  were  yellow,  others  blue,  and  some  mottled  with  a 
variety  of  tints ! 

"What  could  it  mean?  But  I  knew  well  enough.  The  dogs 
"were  dyed! 

"Yes,  it  is  the  custom  among  many  tribes  of  South  American 
Indians  to  dye  not  only  their  own  bodies,  but  the  hairy  coats 
of  their  dogs,  with  brilliant  colours  obtained  from  vegetable 
juices,  such  as  the  red  huitoc,  the  yellow  raucau  (annato),  and 
the  blue  of  the  wild  indigo.  The  light  gray,  often  white,  hair 
of  these  animals  favours  the  staining  process;  and  the  effect 
produced  pleases  the  eye  of  their  savage  masters. 

"On  my  eye  the  effect  was  strange  and  fantastical.  I  could 
not  restrain  my  laughter  when  I  first  scanned  these  curs  in  their 
fanciful  coats.  Picture  to  yourself  a  pack  of  scarlet,  and  orange, 
and  purple  dogs! 

"Well,  we  were  soon  in  the  ubas,  and  paddling  up  stream. 
The  tuxava  and  I  occupied  a  canoe  to  ourselves.  His  only 
arms  were  a  light  fusil,  which  I  had  given  him  as  a  present. 
It  was  a  good  piece,  and  he  was  proud  of  it.  This  was  to  be 
its  first  trial.  I  had  a  rifle  for  my  own  weapon.  The  rest  were 
armed  variously:  some  had  guns,  others  native  bows  and  arrows; 


HUNTING   THE   TAPIS.  283 

some  carried  the  gravatana,  with  arrows  dipped  in  the-curari 
poison;  some  had  nothing  but  machetes,  or  cutlasses,  for  clearing 
the  underwood,  in  case  the  game  had  to  be  driven  from  the 
tnickets. 

"There  was  a  part  of  the  river,  some  two  or  three  miles  above 
the  malocca,  where  the  channel  was  wider  than  usual — several 
miles  in  breadth  at  this  place.  Here  it  was  studded  with 
islands,  known  to  be  a  favourite  resort  of  the  tapirs.  This  was 
to  be  the  scene  of  our  hunt. 

"We  approached  the  place  in  about  an  hour;  but  on  the  way 
I  could*  not  help  being  struck  with  the  picturesqueness  of  our 
party..  No  'meet'  in  the  hunting-field  of  civilized  countries 
could  have  equalled  us  in  that  respect.  The  ubas,  strung  out  in 
a  Icng  irregular  line,  sprang  up  stream  in  obedience  to  the 
vigorous  strokes  of  the  rowers,  and  these  sang  in  a  sort  of 
irregular  concert,  as  they  plied  their  paddles.  The  songs  were 
improvised:  they  told  the  feats  of  the  hunters  already  performed, 
and  promised  others  yet  to  be  done.  I  could  hear  the  word 
'tapira'  (tapir),  often  repeated.  The  women  lent  their  shrill 
voices  to  the  chorus;  and  now  and  then  interrupted  the  song 
with  peals  of  merry  laughter.  The  strange-looking  flotilla — the 
bronzed  bodies  of  the  Indians,  more  than  half  nude — their 
waving  black  hair — their  blue-bead  belts  and  red  cotton  armlets 
— the  bright  tangas  (aprons),  of  the  women — their  massive 
necklaces — the  macaw  feathers  adorning  the  heads  of  the 
hunters — their  odd  arms  and  equipments — all  combined  to  form  a 
picture  which,  even  to  me,  accustomed  to  such  sights,  was  full  of 
interest. 

"At  length  we  arrived  among  the  islands,  and  then  the  noise 
ceased.  The  canoes  were  paddled  as  slowly  and  silently  as 
possible.  I  now  began  to  understand  the  plan  of  the  hunt.  It 
was  first  to  discover  an  island  upon  which  a  tapir  was  supposed 
to  be,  and  then  encompass  it  with  the  hunters  in  their  canoes, 


284 


while  a  party  landed  with  the  dogs,  to  arouse  the  game  and  drive 
it  toward  the  water. 

"  This  plan  promised  fair  sport. 

"  The  canoes  now  separated ;  and  in  a  short  while  each  of 
them  was  seen  coursing  quietly  along  the  edge  of  some  islet,  one 
of  its  occupants  leaning  inward,  and  scrutinizing  the  narrow  belt 
of  sand  that  bordered  the  water. 

"  In  some  places  no  such  sand-belt  appeared.  The  trees  hung 
over,  their  branches  even  dipping  into  the  current,  and  forming 
a  roofed  and  dark  passage  underneath.  In  such  places  a  tapir 
could  have  hidden  himself  from  the  sharpest-eyed  hunters,  and 
herein  lies  the  chief  difficulty  of  this  kind  of  hunt. 

"  It  was  not  long  before  a  low  whistle  was  heard  from  one  of 
the  ubas,  a  sign  for  the  others  to  come  up.  The  traces  of  a  tapir 
had  been  discovered. 

"  The  chief,  with  a  stroke  or  two  of  his  palm-wood  paddle, 
brought  our  canoe  to  the  spot. 

"  There,  sure  enough,  was  the  sign — the  tracks  of  a  tapir  in 
the  sand — leading  to  a  hole  in  the  thick  underwood,  where  a 
beaten-path  appeared  to  continue  onward  into  the  interior  of 
the  island,  perhaps  to  the  tapir-den.  The  tracks  were  fresh — 
had  been  made  that  morning  in  the  wet  sand — no  doubt  the 
creature  was  in  its  lair. 

"  The  island  was  a  small  one,  with  some  five  or  six  acres  of 
surface.  The  canoes  shot  off  in  different  directions,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  were  deployed  all  around  it.  At  a  given  signal, 
several  hunters  leaped  ashore,  followed  by  their  bright-coloured 
assistants — the  dogs  ;  and  then  the  chopping  of  branches,  the 
shouts  of  the  men,  and  the  yelping  of  their  canine  companions, 
were  all  heard  mingling  together. 

"  The  island  was  densely  wooded.  The  uaussu  and  piriti 
palms  grew  so  thickly,  that  their  crowned  heads  touched  each 
other,  forming  a  close  roof.  Above  these,  rose  the  taller 


HUNTING   THE   TAPIR  285 

I 

summits  of  the  great  forest-trees,  cedrelas,  zamangs,  and  the 
beautiful  long-leaved  silk  cotton  (bombax);  but  beneath,  a 
perfect  net-work  of  sipos  or  creepers  and  lianes  choked  up  the 
path,  and  the  hunters  had  to  clear  every  step  of  the  way  with 
their  machetes.  Even  the  dogs,  with  all  their  eagerness,  could 
make  only  a  slow  and  tortuous  advance  among  the  thorny  vines 
of  the  smilax,  and  the  sharp  spines  that  covered  the  trunks  of 
the  palms. 

"In  the  circle  of  canoes  that  surrounded  the  island,  there  was 
perfect  silence;  each  had  a  spot  to  guard,  and  each  hunter  sat, 
with  arms  ready,  and  eyes  keenly  fixed  on  the  foliage  of  the 
underwood  opposite  his  station. 

"The  uba  of  the  chief  had  remained  to  watch  the  path  where 
the  tracks  of  the  tapir  had  been  observed.  We  both  sat  with 
guns  cocked, and  ready;  the  dogs  and  hunters  were  distinctly 
heard  in  the  bushes  approach  the  centre  of  the  islet.  The 
former  gave  tongue  at  intervals,  but  their  yelping  grew  louder, 
and  was  uttered  with  a  fiercer  accent.  Several  of  them  barked 
at  once,  and  a  rushing  was  heard  towards  the  water. 

"  It  came  in  our  direction,  but  not  right  for  us  ;  still  the 
game  was  likely  to  issue  at  a  point  within  range  of  our  guns.  A 
stroke  of  the  paddle  brought  us  into  a  better  position.  At  the 
same  time  several  other  canoes  were  seen  shooting  forward  to 
the  spot. 

"  The  underwood  crackled  and  shook ;  reddish  forms  appeared 
among  the  leaves ;  and  the  next  moment  a  dozen  animals,  resem 
bling  a  flock  of  hogs,  tumbled  out  from  the  thicket,  and  flung 
themselves  with  a  splash  into  the  water. 

"  '  No — tapir  no — capivara/  cried  the  chief ;  but  his  voice 
was  drowned  by  the  reports  of  guns  and  the  twanging  of  bow 
strings.  Half  a  dozen  of  the  capivaras  were  observed  to  fall  on 
the  sandy  margin,  while  the  rest  plunged  forward,  and  diving 
beyond  the  reach  of  pursuit,  were  seen  no  more. 


• 

286  TEE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

"  This  was  a  splendid  beginning  of  the  day's  sport ;  for  half 
a  dozen  at  a  single  volley  was  no  mean  game,  even  among 
Indians. 

"  But  the  nobler  beast,  the  tapir,  occupied  all  our  thoughts  ; 
and  leaving  the  capivaras  to  be  gathered  in  by  the  women,  the 
hunters  were  back  at  their  post  in  a  few  seconds. 

"  There  was  no  doubt  that  a  tapir  would  be  roused.  The 
island  had  all  the  appearance  of  being  the  haunt  of  one  or  more 
of  these  creatures,  besides,  the  tracks  were  evidence  of  their 
recent  presence  upon  the  spot.  The  beating,  therefore,  pro 
ceeded  as  lively  as  ever,  and  the  hunters  and  dogs  had  penetrated 
to  the  centre  of  the  thicket. 

"  Again  the  quick  angry  yelping  of  the  latter  fell  upon  the 
ear  ;  and  again  the  thick  cover  rustled  and  shook. 

" '  This  time  the  tapir,'  said  the  chief  to  me  in  an  undertone, 
adding  the  next  moment  in  a  louder  voice  :  '  Look  yonder  I' 

"I  looked  in  the  direction  pointed  out.  I  could  perceive 
something  in  motion  among  the  leaves — a  dark  brown  body, 
smooth  and  rounded,  the  body  of  a  tapir  I 

"  I  caught  only  a  glimpse  of  it,  as  it  sprang  forward  into  the 
opening.  It  was  coming  at  a  full  gallop*  with  its  head  carried 
between  its  knees.  The  dogs  were  close  after,  and  it  looked  not 
before  it,  but  dashed  out  and  ran  towards  us  as  though  blind. 

"  It  made  for  the  water,  just  a  few  feet  from  the  bow  of  our 
canoe.  The  chief  and  I  fired  at  the  same  time.  I  thought  my 
bullet  took  effect,  and  so  thought  the  chief  did  his  ;  but  tiw 
tapir,  seeming  not  to  heed  the  shots,  plunged  into  the  stream, 
and  went  under. 


» 

HUNTING   THE   TAPIR.  287 

*  The  next  moment  the  whole  string  of  dyed  dogs  came  sweep- 
fug  out  of  the  thicket,  and  leaped  forward  to  where  the  game 
hud  Disappeared. 

"  There  was  blood  upon  the  water.  The  tapir  is  hit,  then, 
thought  I  ;  and  was  about  to  point  out  the  blood  to  the  chief, 
when  on  turning  I  saw  the  latter  poiang  himself  knife  in  hand, 
near  the  stern  of  the  canoe.  He  was  about  to  spring  out  of  it. 
His  eye  was  fixed  on  some  object  under  the  water. 

"I  looked  in  the  same  direction.  The  waters  of  the  Xingu 
are  as  clear  as  crystal :  against  the  sandy  bottom,  I  could  trace 
the  dark  brown  body  of  the  tapir.  It  was  making  for  a  deeper 
channel  of  the  river,  but  evidently  dragging  itself  along  with 
difficulty.  One  of  its  legs  was  disabled  by  our  shots. 

"  I  had  scarcely  time  to  get  a  good  view  of  it  before  the  chief 
sprang  into  the  air,  and  dropped  head  foremost  into  the  water. 
I  could  see  a  struggle  going  on  at  the  bottom — turbid  water 
came  to  the  surface — and  then  up  came  the  dark  head  of  the 
savage  chief. 

"  '  Ugh  !'  cried  he,  as  he  shook  the  water  from  his  thick 
tresses,  and  beckoned  me  to  assist  him — '  Ugh  !  Senhor,  you 
eat  roast  tapir  for  dinner.  Si — bueno — here  tapir.' 

"  I  'pulled  him  into  the  boat,  and  afterwards  assisted  to  haul 
up  the  huge  body  of  the  slain  tapir. 

"  As  was  now  seen,  both  our  shots  had  taken  effect ;  but  it 
was  the  rifle  bullet  that  had  broken  the  creature's  leg,  and  the 
generous  savage  acknowledged  that  he  would  have  had  but  little 
chance  of  overtaking  the  game  under  water,  had  it  not  been 
previously  crippled. 


288  THE  HUNTERS'  FITAST 

"The  hunt  of  the  day  proved  a  very  successful  one.  Twc 
more  tapirs  were  killed  ;  several  capivaras  ;  and  a  paca — which 
is  an  animal  much  prized  by  the  Indians  for  its  flesh  as  well  as 
the  teeth,  used  by  them  in  making  their  blow-guns.  We  also 
obtained  a  pair  of  the  small  peccaries,  several  macaws,  and  no 
less  than  a  whole  troop  of  guariba  monkeys.  We  returned  to 
the  malocca  with  a  game  bag  as  various  as  it  was  full,  and  a 
grand  dance  of  the  Juruna  women  wound  up  the  amusements  of 
the  day." 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO.  289 


CHAPTER    XXXI. 

ADVENTURE   WITH    A    BUFFALO. 

THE  long  looked  for  day  at  length  arrived  when  the  game 
were  to  be  met  with,  and  I  had  myself  the  "distinguished 
honour"  of  being  the  first  not  only  to  see  the  great  buffalo,  but 
to  throw  a  couple  of  them  "  in  their  attacks."  This  incident, 
however,  was  not  without  an  "  adventure,"  and  or^e  that  was 
neither  very  pleasant  nor  without  peril.  During  several  late 
days  of  our  journey  we  had  been  in  the  habit  of  straggling  a 
good  deal  in  search  of  game — deer  if  we  could  find  it,  but  more 
especially  in  hopes  of  falling  in  with  the  buffalo.  Sometimes  we 
went  in  twos  or  threes,  but  as  often  one  of  the  party  rode  off 
alone  to  hunt  wherever  his  inclination  guided  him.  Sometimes 
these  solitary  expeditions  took  place  while  the  party  was  on  the 
march,  but  oftener  during  the  hours  after  we  had  pitched  our 
night-camp. 

One  evening,  after  we  had  camped  as  usual,  and  my  brave 
horse  had  eaten  his  "  bite  "  of  corn,  I  leaped  into  the  saddle  and 
rode  off  in  hopes  of  finding  something  fresh  for  supper.  The 
prairie  where  we  had  halted  was  a  "rolling"  one,  and  as  the 
camp  had  been  fixed  on  a  small  stream,  between  two  great 
swells,  it  was  not  visible  at  any  great  distance.  As  soon,  there 
fore,  as  I  had  crossed  one  of  the  ridges,  I  was  out  of  sight  of 

13 


290 


my  companions.  Trusting  to  the  sky  for  my  direction,  therefore, 
I  continued  on. 

After  riding  about  a  mile,  I  should  think,  I  came  upon  buffalo 
"sign,"  consisting  of  several  circular  holes  in  the  ground,  five 
or  six  feet  in  diameter,  known  as  buffalo  "  wallows."  I  saw  at 
a  glance  that  the  sign  was  fresh.  There  were  several  wallows  ; 
and  I  could  tell  by  the  tracks,  in  the  dusk,  there  had  been  bulls 
in  that  quarter.  So  I  continued  on  in  hopes  of  getting  a  sight 
of  the  animals  that  had  been  wallowing. 

Shortly  after,  I  came  to  a  place  where  the  ground  was 
ploughed  up,  as  if  a  drove  of  hogs  had  been  rooting  it.  Here 
there  had  been  a  terrible  fight  among  the  bulls — it  was  the  rut 
ting  season,  when  such  conflicts  occur.  This  augured  well.  Per 
haps  there  .are  cows  in  the  neighbourhood,  reasoned  I,  as  I  gave 
the  spur  to  my  horse,  and  galloped  forward  with  more  spirit. 

I  had  ridden  full  five  miles  from  camp,  when  my  intention  was 
attracted  by  an  odd  noise  ahead  of  me.  There  was  a  ridge  in 
front  that  prevented  me  from  seeing  what  produced  the  noise ; 
but  I  knew  what  it  was — it  was  the  bellowing  of  a  buffalo-bull. 

At  intervals,  there  were  quick  shocks,  as  of  two  hard  sub- 
stances  coming  in  violent  contact  with  each  other. 

I  mounted  the  ridge  with  caution,  and  looked  over  its  crest. 
There  was  a  valley  beyond  ;  a  cloud  of  dust  was  rising  out  of 
its  bottom,  and  in  the  midst  of  this  I  could  distinguish  two  huge 
forms  dark  and  hirsute. 

I  saw  at  once  that  they  were  a  couple  of  buffalo-bulls  engaged 
in  a  fierce  fight.  They  were  alone ;  there  were  no  others  in 
sight,  either  in  the  valley  or  on  the  prairie  beyond. 


ADVENTURE    WITH    A   BUFFALO.  291 

I  did  not  halt  longer  than  to  see  that  the  cap  was  on  my  rifle 
and  to  cock  the  piece.  Occupied  as  the  animals  were,  I  did  not 
imagine  they  would  heed  me  :  or,  if  they  should  attempt  flight, 
I  knew  I  could  easily  overtake  one  or  other ;  so,  without  further 
hesitation  or  precaution,  I  rode  towards  them. 

Contrary  to  my  expectation,  they  both  "winded"  me,  and 
started  off.  The  wind  was  blowing  freshly  towards  them,  and 
the  sun  had  thrown  my  shadow  between  them,  so  as  to  draw 
their  attention. 

They  did  not  run,  however,  as  if  badly  scared ;  on  the  con 
trary,  they  went  off,  apparently  indignant  at  being  disturbed  in 
their  fight ;  and  every  now  and  then  both  came  round  with  short 
turnings,  snorted,  and  struck  the  prairie  with  their  hoofs  in  a 
violent  and  angry  manner. 

Once  or  twice,  I  fancied  they  were  going  to  charge  upon  me ; 
and  had  I  been  otherwise  than  well  mounted,  I  should  have  been 
very  chary  of  risking  such  an  encounter.  A  more  formidable 
pair  of  antagonists,  as  far  as  appearance  went,  could  not  have 
been  well  conceived.  Their  huge  size,  their  shaggy  fronts,  and 
fierce  glaring  eyeballs,  gave  them  a  wild  and  malicious  seeming, 
which  was  heightened  by  their  bellowing,  and  the  threatening 
attitudes  in  which  they  continually  placed  themselves. 

Feeling  quite  safe  in  my  saddle,  I  galloped  up  to  the  nearest, 
and  sent  my  bullet  into  his  ribs.  It  did  the  work.  He  fell  to 
his  knees — rose  again — spread  out  his  legs,  as  if  to  prevent  a 
second  fall — rocked  from  side  to  side  like  a  cradle — again  came 
to  his  knees;  and  after  remaining  in  this  position  for  some 
minutes,  with  the  blood  running  from  his  nostrils,  rolled  quietly 
over,  on  his  shoulder,  and  lay  dead. 


292  THE    HUKTERS     FEAST. 

I  had  watched  these  manoeuvres  with  interest,  and  permitted 
the  second  bull  to  make  his  escape ;  a  side  glance  had  shown  me 
the  latter  disappearing  over  the  crest  of  the  swell. 

I  did  not  care  to  follow  him,  as  my  horse  was  jaded,  and  I 
knew  it  would  cost  me  a  sharp  gallop  to  come  up  with  him 
again ;  so  I  thought  no  more  of  him  at  that  time,  but  alighted, 
and  prepared  to  deal  with  the  one  already  slain. 

There  stood  a  solitary  tree  near  the  spot — it  was  a  stunted 
cottonwood.  There  were  others  upon  the  prairie,  but  they  were 
distant ;  this  one  was  not  twenty  yards  from  the  carcass.  I  led 
my  horse  up  to  it,  and  taking  the  trail-rope  from  the  horn  of 
the  saddle,  made  one  end  fast  to  the  bit-ring,  and  the  other  to 
the  tree.  I  then  went  back,  drew  my  knife,  and  proceeded  to 
cut  up  the  buffalo. 

I  had  hardly  whetted  my  blade,  when  a  noise  from  behind 
caused  me  to  leap  to  an  upright  attitude,  and  look  round ;  at 
the  first  glance  I  comprehended  the  noise.  A  huge  dark  object 
was  passing  the  crest  of  the  ridge,  and  rushing  down  the  hill, 
towards  the  spot  where  I  stood.  It  was  the  buffalo-bull,  the 
same  that  had  just  left  me. 

The  sight,  at  first  thought,  rather  pleased  me  than  otherwise. 
Although  I  did  not  want  any  more  meat,  I  should  have  the 
triumph  of  carrying  two  tongues  instead  of  one  to  the  camp.  I 
therefore  hurriedly  sheathed  my  knife,  and  laid  hold  of  my  rifle, 
which,  according  to  custom,  I  had  taken  the  precaution  to 
re-load. 

I  hesitated  a  moment  whether  to  run  to  my  horse  and  mount 
him,  or  to  fire  from  where  I  stood.  That  question,  however,  was 
settled  by  the  buffalo.  The  tree  and  the  horse  were  to  one  side 


Si 

<2C 

£  « 

2  tr 
9  "a 

11 


•s 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO  293 

of  the  direction  in  which  he  was  running,  but  being  attracted  by 
the  loud  snorting  of  the  horse,  which  had  begun  to  pitch  and 
plunge  violently,  and  deeming  it  perhaps  a  challenge,  the  buffalo 
suddenly  swerved  from  his  course,  and  ran  full  tilt  upon  the  horse. 
The  latter  shot  out  instantly  to  the  full  length  of  the  trail-rope — 
a  heavy  "pluck  "  sounded  in  my  ears,  and  the  next  instant  I  saw 
my  horse  part  from  the  tree,  and  scour  off  over  the  prairie,  as 
if  there  had  been  a  thistle  under  his  tail.  I  had  knotted  the 
f  rope  negligently  upon  the  bit-ring,  and  the  knot  had  "come 
undone." 

I  was  chagrined,  but  not  alarmed  as  yet.  My  horse  would 
no  doubt  follow  back  his  own  trail,  and  at  the  worst  I  should 
only  have  to  walk  to  the  camp.  I  should  have  the  satisfaction 
of  punishing  the  buffalo  for  the  trick  he. had  served  me;  and 
with  this  design  I  turned  towards  him. 

I  saw  that  he  had  not  followed  the  horse,  but  was  again 
heading  himself  in  my  direction. 

Now,  for  the  first  time,  it  occurred  to  me  that  I  was  in  some 
thing  of  a  Scrape.  The  bull  was  coming  furiously  on.  Should 
my  shot  miss,  or  even  should  it  only  wound  him,  how  was  I  tc 
escape  ?  I  knew  that  he  could  overtake  me  in  three  minutes 
stretch  ;  I  knew  that  well. 

I  had  not  much  time  for  reflection — not  a  moment  in  fact :  the 
infuriated  animal  was  within  ten  paces  of  me ;  I  raised  my  rifle, 
aimed  at  his  fore-shoulder,  and  fired. 

I  saw  that  I  had  hit  him  ;  but,  to  my  dismay^  he  neither  fell 
nor  stumbled,  but  continued  to  charge  forward  more  furiously 
than  ever. 


294  THE   HUNTEES7    FEAST. 

To  reload  was  impossible.  My  pistols  had  gone  off  with  my 
horse  and  holsters.  Even  to  reach  the  tree  was  impossible  ;  the 
bull  was  between  it  and  me. 

To  make  off  in  the  opposite  direction  was  the  only  thing  that 
held  out  the  prospect  of  five  minutes'  safety  ;  I  turned  and  ran. 

I  can  run  as  fast  as  most  men,  and  upon  that  occasion  I  did 
my  best.  It  would  have  put  "  Gildersleeve  n  into  a  white  sweat 
to  have  distanced  me  ;  but  I  had  not  been  two  minutes  at  it, 
when  I  felt  conscious  that  the  buffalo  gained  upon  me,  and  was 
almost  treading  upon  my  heels  1  I  knew  it  only  by  my  ears — I 
dared  not  spare  time  to  look  back. 

At  this  moment,  an  object  appeared  before  me,  that  promised, 
one  way  or  another,  to  interrupt  the  chase  ;  it  was  a  ditch  or 
gulley,  that  intersected  my  path  at  right  angles.  It  was  several 
feet  in  depth,  dry  at  the  bottom,  and  with  perpendicular  sides. 

I  was  almost  upon  its  edge  before  I  noticed  it,  but  the 
moment  it  came  under  my  eye,  I  saw  that  it  offered  the  means 
of  a  temporary  safety  at  least.  If  I  could  only  leap  this  gully, 
I  felt  satisfied  that  the  buffalo  could  not. 

It  was  a  sharp  leap — at  least,  seventeen  feet  from  cheek  to 
cheek  ;  but  I  had  done  more  than  that  in  my  time  ;  and,  without 
halting  in  my  gait,  I  ran  forward  to  the  edge,  and  sprang  over. 

I  alighted  cleverly  upon  the  opposite  bank,  where  I  stopped, 
and  turned  round  to  watch  my  pursuer. 

I  now  ascertained  how  near  my ''end  I  had  been :  the  bull  was 
already  up  to  the  very  edge  of  the  gully.  Had  I  not  made  my 
leap  at  the  instant  I  did,  I  should  have  been  by  that  time  danc 
ing  upon  his  boras.  He  himself  had  balked  at  the  leap ;  the 


ADVBNTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO.  295 

deep  chasm-like  cleft  had  cowed  him.  He  saw  that  he  could 
not  clear  it ;  and  now  stood  upon  the  opposite  bank  with  head 
lowered,  and  spread  nostrils,  his  tail  lashing  his  brown  flanks, 
while  his  glaring  black  eyes  expressed  the  full  measure  of  his 
baffled  rage. 

I  remarked  that  my  shot  had  taken  effect  in  his  shoulder,  as 
the  blood  trickled  from  his  long  hair. 

I  had  almost  begun  to  congratulate  myself  on  having  escaped, 
when  a  hurried  glance  to  the  right,  and  another  to  the  left,  cut 
short  my  happiness.  I  saw  that  on  both  sides,  at  a  distance  of 
less  than  fifty  paces,  the  gully  shallowed  out  into  the  plain, 
where  it  ended  ;  at  either  end  it  was,  of  course,  passable. 

The  bull  observed  this  almost  at  the  same  time  as  myself; 
and,  suddenly  turning  away  from  the  brink,  he  ran  along  the 
edge  of  the  chasm,  evidently  with  the  intention  of  turning  it. 

In  less  than  a  minute's  time  we  were  once  more  on  the  same 
side,  and  my  situation  appeared  as  terrible  as  ever ;  but,  step 
ping  back  for  a  short  run,  I  releaped  the  chasm,  and  again  we 
stood  on  opposite  sides  of  the  gully. 

During  all  these  manoeuvres  I  had  held  on  to  my  rifle  ;  and, 
seeing  now  that  I  might  have  time  to  load  it,  I  commenced  feel 
ing  for  my  powder-horn.  To  my  astonishment,  I  could  not  lay 
my  hands  upon  it :  I  looked  down  to  my  breast  for  the  sling — 
it  was  not  there  ;  belt  and  bullet-pouch  too — all  were  gone !  I 
remembered  lifting  them  over  my  head,  when  I  set  about  cutting 
up  the  dead  bull.  They  were  lying  by  the  carcass. 

This  discovery  was  a  new  source  of  chagrin  ;  but  for  my 
negligence,  I  could  have  now  mastered  my  antagonist. 


296 

To  reach  the  ammunition  would  be  impossible  ;  I  should  be 
overtaken  before  I  had  got  half-way  to  it. 

I  was  not  allowed  much  time  to  indulge  in  my  regrets  ;  the 
bull  had  again  turned  the  ditch,  and  was  once  more  upon  the 
same  side  with  me,  and  I  was  compelled  to  take  another  leap. 

I  really  do  not  remember  how  often  I  sprang  backwards  and 
forwards  across  that  chasm  ;  I  should  think  a  score  of  times  at 
least,  and  I  became  wearied  with  the  exercise.  The  leap  was 
just  as  much  as  I  could  do  at  my  best  ;  and  as  I  was  growing 
weaker  at  each  fresh  spring,  I  became  satisfied  that  I  should 
soon  leap  short,  and  crush  myself  against  the  steep  rocky  sides 
of  the  chasm. 

Should  I  fall  to  the  bottom,  my  pursuer  could  easily  reach  me 
by  entering  at  either  end,  and  I  began  to  dread  such  a  finale. 
The  vengeful  brute  showed  no  symptoms  of  retiring  ;  on  the 
contj-ary,  the  numerous  disappointments  seemed  only  to  render 
him  more  determined  in  his  resentment. 

An  idea  now  suggested  itself  to  my  mind.  ^ 

I  had  looked  all  round  to  see  if  there  might  not  be  something 
that  offered  a  better  security.  There  were  trees,  but  they  were 
too  distant :  the  only  one  near  was  that  to  which  my  horse  had 
been  tied.  It  was  an  old  one,  and,  like  all  of  its  species  (it 
was  a  cotton-wood),  there  were  no  branches  near  the  root. 

I  knew  that  I  could  clamber  up  it  by  embracing  the  trunk, 
which  was  not  over  ten  inches  in  diameter.  Could  I  only  suc 
ceed  in  reaching  it,  it  would  at  least  shelter  me  better  than  the 
ditch,  of  which  I  was  getting  heartily  tired. 

But  the  question  was,  could  I  reach  it  before  the  bull  ? 


.       ADVENTURE    WITH    A    BUFFALO.  29' 

It  was  about  three  hundred  yards  off.  By  proper  manoeu 
vring,  I  should  have  a  start  of-fifty.  Even  with  that  it  would  b 
a  "  close  shave  ;"  and  it  proved  so. 

I  arrived  at  the  tree,  however,  and  sprang  up  it  like  a  moun 
tebank ;  but  the  hot  breath  of  the  buffalo  steamed  after  me  a 
I  ascended,  and  the  concussion  of  his  heavy  skull  against  tin 
trunk  almost  shook  me  back  upon  his  horns.  -  ,  - 

After  a  severe  effort  of  climbing,  I  succeeded  in  lodging 
myself  among  the  branches. 

I  was  now  safe  from  all  immediate  danger,  but  how  was  th< 
affair  to  end  ? 

I  knew,  from  the  experience  of  others,  that  my  enemy  migh 
stay  for  hours  by  the  tree — perhaps  for  days  ! 

Hours  would  be  enough.  I  could  not  stand  it  long.  '. 
already  hungered,  but  a  worse  appetite  began  to  torture  me— 
thirst.  The  hot  sun,  the  dust,  the  violent  exercise  of  the  pas 
hour,  all  contributed  to  make  me  thirsty.  Even  then,  I  woul< 
have  risked  life  for  a  draught  of  water.  What  would  it  com< 
to  should  I  not  be  relieved  ? 

I  had  but  one  hope — that  my  companions  would  come  to  nr 
relief;  but  I  knew  that  that  would  not  be  before  morning 
They  would  miss  me,  of  course.  Perhaps  my  horse  would  returi 
to  camp — that  would  send  them  out  in  search  for  me — but  no 
before  night  had  fallen.  In  the  darkness  they  could  not  follov 
my  trail.  Could  they  do  so  in  the  light  ? 

This  last  question,  which  I  had  put  to  myself,  startled  me. 
was  just  in  a  condition  to  look  upon  the  dark  side  of  everything 
and  it  now  occurred  to  me  that  they  might  not  be  able  t< 
find  me ! 


298  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

There  were  many  possibilities  that  they  might  not.  There 
were  numerous  horse-trails  on  the  prairie,  where  Indians  had 
passed.  I  saw  this  when  tracking  the  buffalo.  Besides,  it 
might  rain  in  the  night,  and  obliterate  them  all — my  own  with 
the  rest.  They  were  not  likely  to  find  me  by  chance.  A  circle 
of  ten  miles  diameter  is  a  large  tract.  It  was  a  rolling  prairie, 
as  already  stated,  full  of  inequalities,  and  ridges  with  valleys 
between.  The  tree  upon  which  I  was  perched  stood  in  the 
bottom  of  one  of  the  valleys — it  could  not  be  seen  from  any 
point  over  three  hundred  yards  distant.  Those  searching  for 
me  might  pass  within  hail  without  perceiving  either  the  tree  or 
the  valley. 

I  remained  for  a  long  time  busied  with  such  gloomy  thoughts 
and  forebodings.  Night  was  coming  on,  but  the  fierce  and 
obstinate  brute  showed  no  disposition  to  raise  the  siege.  He 
remained  watchful  as  ever,  walking  round  and  round  at  intervals, 
lashing  his  tail,  and  uttering  that  snorting  sound  so  well  known 
to  the  prairie-hunter,  and  which  so  much  resembles  the  grunting 
of  hogs  when  suddenly  alarmed.  Occasionally  he  would  bellow 
loudly  like  the  routing  of  the  common  bull. 

While  watching  his  various  manoeuvres,  an  object  on  the 
ground  drew  my  attention — it  was  the  trail-rope  left  by  my 
horse.  One  end  of  it  was  fastened  round  the  trunk  by  a  firm 
knot — the  other  lay  far  out  upon  the  prairie,  where  it  had  been 
dragged.  My  attention  had  been  drawn  to  it  by  the  bull  himself, 
which  in  crossing  over  it  had  noticed  it,  and  now  and  then  pawed 
it  with  his  hoofs. 

All  at  once  a  bright  idea  flashed  upon  me — a  sudden  hope 
arose  within  me — a  plan  of  escape  presented  itself,  so  feasible 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO.  299 

and  possible,  that  I  leaped  in  my  perch  as  the  thought  struck 
me. 

The  first  step  was  to  get  possession  of  the  rope.  This  was 
not  such  an  easy  matter.  The  rope  was  fastened  around  the 
tree,  but  the  knot  had  slipped  down  the  trunk  and  lay  upon  the 
ground.  I  dared  not  descend  for  it. 

Necessity  soon  suggested  a  plan. 

My  "picker" — a  piece  of  straight  wire  with  a  ring-end — hung 
from  one  of  my  breast  buttons.  This  I  took  hold  of,  and  bent 
into  the  shape  of  a  grappling-hook.  I  had  no  cord,  but  my 
knife  was  still  in  its  sheath;  and,  drawing  this,  I  cut  several 
thongs  from  the  skirt  of  my  buckskin  shirt,  and  knotted  them 
together  until  they  formed  a  string  long  enough  to  reach  the 
ground.  To  one  end  I  attached  the  picker,  and  then  letting  it 
down,  I  commenced  angling  for  the  rope. 

After  a  few  transverse  drags,  the  hook  caught  the  latter,  and 
I  pulled  it  up  into  the  tree,  taking  the  whole  of  it  in  until  I 
held  the  loose  end  in  my  hands.  The  other  end  I  permitted  to 
remain  as  it  was ;  I  saw  it  was  securely  knotted  around  the 
trunk,  and  that  was  just  what  I  wanted. 

It  was  my  intention  to  lasso  the  bull ;  and  for  this  purpose  I 
proceeded  to  make  a  running-noose  on  the  end  of  the  trail-rope. 

This  I  executed  with  great  care,  and  with  all  my  skill.  I 
could  depend  upon  the  rope ;  it  was  raw  hide,  and  a  better  was 
never  twisted ;  but  I  knew  that  if  anything  should  chance  to 
slip  at  a  critical  moment,  it  might  cost  me  my  life.  With  this 
knowledge,  therefore,  I  spliced  it  with  all  the  painstaking  that 
a  man,  whose  life  was  actually  "  on  the  cast,"  might  be  supposed 


300 


to  bestow  on  his  last  resource,  the  efficiency  of  which  could  be 
increased  or  lessened  by  his  own  act. 

Unfortunately,  ray  peculiar  position  among  the  branches  of 
the  cotton-wood,  requiring  one  hand  to  secure  myself  from  fall 
ing,  was  not  calculated  to  enhance  the  facility  of  the  task  I  had 
undertaken.  It  may  easily  be  imagined  that  two  hands,  and 
efficient  ones  too,  are  necessary  to  make  such  a  noose  as  should 
resist  successfully  the  gigantic  strength  of  such  a  hirsute 
monster,  as  was  now  posted  at  the  foot  of  my  tree,  his  glaring 
eyes  watching  my  every  movement,  as  if  expecting  that  by  some 
fortunate  chance,  I  might  fall  from  my  ticklish  perch,  and  drop 
unresistingly  upon  his  ugly  head,  garnished  as  it  was  with  a  pair 
of  pointed  excrescences,  an  impalement  upon  either  of  which, 
would  be  a  dilemma,  the  choice  of  which  would  be  difficult  to 
decide  upon. 

After  about  an  hour  of  careful  and  painful  labour,  I  had  at 
length  the  satisfaction  of  having  completed  a  running  knot, 
which  bid  fair  to  hold  even  the  ugly  brute,  whose  eyes  had  not 
been  for  a  moment  off  my  person ;  and  who  instead  of  wearying 
of  the  siege,  as  I  had  more  than  once  indulged  in  the  hope  of 
his  doing,  seemed,  by  an  occasional  roar  and  an  angry  lashing  of 
his  flanks  and  pawing  of  the  ground,  to  be  preparing  himself  for 
some  coming  struggle,  the  nature  of  which,  of  course,  his  dull 
instinct  could  not  define. 

Everything  being  now  ready,  my  next  difficulty  was  to  fix 
myself  in  such  a  position  that  I  could  whirl  my  lasso  clear  of 
the  tree,  with  some  hopes  of  casting  it  over  the  bull's  neck, 
and  still  at  the  same  time  not  so  far  compromise  my  own  safety 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO.  301 

as,  in  case  of  an  unsuccessful  cast,  to  be  within  reach  of  the 
enraged  animal,  who  would  now  most  surely  defeat  me  in  any 
contest  involving  a  trial  of  speed  ;  for  my  long-continued  and 
cramped  position  astride  the  cotton-wood  limb,  I  was  perfectly 
aware,  prevented  any  hope  of  success  by  that  mode  of  escape. 

Fortunately  for  me,  the  tree  was  old,  and  much  of  the  wood 
bare  of  leaves,  especially  the  lower  limbs,  one  of  which  reached 
far  out  from  the  trunk,  and  was  clear  above,  save  a  few  small 
branches  which,  thanks  to  my  stout  hunting-knife,  were  soon 
severed  and  hurled  in  defiance  in  the  very  teeth  of  my  most 
unwelcome  companion. 

Having  now  a  clear  space,  from  which  to  whirl  my  lasso,  I 
clambered  out  on  the  projecting  limb  as  far  as  it  was  prudent  to 
do,  considering  that  my  stand-point  must  be  firm  and  secure, 
and  having  attained  a  position  I  deemed  most  favourable,  under 
the  circumstances,  I  in  turn  became  the  watcher,  and  never  did 
grimalkin  fix  her  keen  eyes  more  warily  upon  the  doomed 
mouse,  than  did  I  keep  a  sharp  watch  upon  every  move  and  turn 
of  the  enraged  beast  who  was  bellowing  below  me. 

At  length  wearying  of  my  position,  night  coming  on  apace, 
and  being  both  hungry  and  parched  with  thirst,  I  determined  to 
make  the  attempt  which,  if  successful,  would  free  me  from  my 
foe,  or  if  it  failed  would  entail  a  fate  no  worse  than  death  from 
starvation,  from  cold,  or  thirst,  or  from  all  united. 

Gathering  the  rope  carefully  in  my  lap,  as  I  sat  astride 
the  limb,  I  coiled  it  up  in  rings,  held  loosely  in  my  left  Hand, 
and  hauling  taut  upon  the  other  end,  was  cheered  by  the  convic 
tion  that  it  was  secure  around  the  trunk,  and  could  I  but 


302  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

succeed  in  throwing  it  as  I  had  often  done  before,  I  need  have 
no  fears  of  the  result. 

Fortunately  for  me,  at  this  moment  a  sound  in  the  distance, 
which  I  knew  to  be  that  of  a  buffalo  cow,  attracted  the  atten 
tion  of  my  grim  jailer,  and  he  turned  his  head  in  the  direction 
whence  it  proceeded,  thus  placing  himself  in  a  position  most 
favourable  for  my  purpose. 

Quick  as  thought  I  stood  upright  on  the  limb,  and  grasping 
one  of  the  upper  branches  with  my  left  hand,  with  my  right 
I  cast  my  lasso,  the  coils  of  which,  after  describing  enlarged  cir 
cles  in  the  air,  descended  upon  the  back  of  the  buffalo,  while  the 
inner  and  smaller  one,  in  which  was  the  fatal  noose,  providen 
tially  encircled  his  neck. 

Now  was  the  moment  to  test  the  success  of  my  throw  ;  I  well 
knew  if  the  lasso  held,  and  the  buffalo  attempted  pursuit,  he  must 
be  checked  at  the  extremity  of  the  rope,  and  with  such  a  sudden 
jerk  as  would  throw  him  to  the  ground,  and  in  all  probability 
break  his  neck. 

Quick  as  thought  I  lowered  myself  to  the  ground,  taking  care 
to  reach  it  on  the  side  of  the  tree  opposite  to  where  the  buffalo 
was,  in  order  to  gain  a  moment's  time,  and  also  that  by  his , 
making  a  circle  he  must  naturally  wind  a  portion  of  the  rope 
around  the  trunk  and  thus  strengthen  the  hold  upon  that  end  of 
the  lasso. 

JSTo  sooner  had  I  reached  the  ground,  than  the  bull,  uttering  a 
most  terrific  snort,  his  eyes  glaring  like  balls  of  fire,  bounded  at 
me,  and  I  felt  his  hot  breath  close  to  my  neck,  and  the  very  earth 
shaking  beneath  my  feet  with  his  maddened  tread.  I  had  given 


ADVENTURE  WITH  A  BUFFALO.  303 

myself  up  for  lost  after  running  a  few  yards,  I  realized  the  mad 
dening  conviction  that  my  limbs  were  paralyzed  with  cold  and 
cramped  for  want  of  exertion,  and  I  sunk  helpless  to  the  earth, 
expecting  the  brute  to  crush  me  out  of  existence  with  his 
huge  paws,  when  I  was  astounded  to  find  myself  alone  and 
unharmed. 

Curiosity,  however,  or  rather  a  desire  to  be  assured  of  my 
safety,  prompted  me  to  look  around,  when,  to  my  joy,  I  beheld 
the  huge  monster  stretched  upon  the  plain.  I  could  see  the  rope 
as  taut  as  a  bow-string ;  and  the  tongue  protruding  from  the 
animal's  jaws  showed  me  that  he  was  strangling  himself  as  fast 
as  I  could  desire. 

At  the  sight,  the  idea  of  buffalo-tongue  for  supper  returned 
in  all  its  vigour;  and  it  now  occurred  to  me  that  I  should  eat 
that  very  tongue,  and  no  other. 

I  immediately  turned  in  my  tracks,  ran  towards  my  powder 
and  balls — which,  in  my  eagerness  to  escape,  I  had  forgotten  all 
about — seized  the  horn  and  pouch,  poured  in  a  charge,  rammed 
down  a  bullet,  and  then  stealing  nimbly  up  behind  the  still  strug 
gling  bull,  I  placed  the  muzzle  within  three  feet  of  his  brisket, 
and  fired.  He  gave  a  death-kick  or  two,  and  then  lay  quiet :  it 
was  all  over  with  him. 

I  had  the  tongue  from  between  his  teeth  in  a  twinkling  ;  and 
proceeding  to  the  other  bull,  I  finished  the  operations  I  had  com 
menced  upon  him.  I  was  too  tired  to  think  of  carrying  a  very 
heavy  load  ;  so  I  contented  myself  with  the  tongues,  and  sling 
ing  these  over  the  barrel  of  my  rifle,  I  shoulderd  it,  and  set  ouj 
to  grope  my  way  back  to  camp 


804  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

The  moon  had  risen,  and  I  had  no  difficulty  in  following  my 
own  trail  ;  but  before  I  had  got  half-way,  I  met  several  of  my 
companions  shouting,  and  at  intervals  firing  off  their  guns. 

My  horse  had  got  back  a  little  before  sunset.  His  appearance 
had,  of  course,  produced  alarm,  and  the  camp  had  turned  out  in 
search  of  me. 

Several  who  had  a  relish  for  fresh  meat  galloped  back  to  strip 
the  two  bulls  of  the  remaining  tit-bits  ;  but  before  midnight  all 
had  returned  ;  and  to  the  accompaniment  of  the  hump-ribs 
spurting  in  the  cheerful  blaze,  T  recounted  the  details  of  my 
adventure 


THE  BISON,  £05 


CHAPTER  XXXII. 

THE   BISON. 

THE  bison — universally,  though  improperly,  called  buffalo — is, 
perhaps,  the  most  interesting  animal  in  America.  Its  great  size 
and  strength — the  prodigious  numbers  in  which  it  is  found — its 
peculiar  habitat — the  value  of  its  flesh  and  hide  to  the  traveller, 
as  well  as  to  the  many  tribes  of  Indians — the  mode  of  its  chace 
and  capture — all  these  circumstances  render  the  buffalo  an  inter 
esting  and  highly-prized  animal. 

Besides,  it  is  the  largest  ruminant  indigenous  to  America, 
exceeding  in  weight  even  the  moose  deer,  which  latter,  however, 
equals  it  in  height.  With  the  exception  of  the  musk-ox,  it  is 
the  only  indigenous  animal  of  the  bovine  tribe,  but  the  latter 
being  confined  to  a  very  limited  range,  near  the  Arctic  Sea,  has 
been  less  subject  to  the  observation  and  attention  of  the  civilised 
world.  The  buffalo,  therefore,  may  be  regarded  as  the  represen 
tative  of  the  ox  in  America. 

The  .appearance  of  the  animal  is  well  known  ;  pictorial  illus 
tration  has  rendered  it  familiar  to  the  eyes  of  every  one.  The 
enormous  head,  with  its  broad  triangular  front — the  conical 
hump  on  the  shoulders — the  small  but  brilliantly  piercing  eyes— 
the  short  black  horns,  of  crescent  shape — the  profusion  ot 
shaggy  hair  about  the  neck  and  forepart  of  the  body — the  dis- 


306 


proportioned  bulk  of  the  smaller  hind  quarters— the  short  tail* 
with  its  tufted  extremity;  all  these  are  characteristics.  The 
hind-quarters  are  covered  with  a  much  shorter  and  smoother 
coat  of  hair,  which  adds  to  their  apparent  disproportion,  and 
this,  with  the  long  hirsute  covering  of  the  breast,  neck,  hump, 
and  shoulders,  gives  to  the  buffalo — especially  when  seen  in  a 
picture — a  somewhat  lion-like  figure.  The  naked  tail,  with  its 
tuft  at  the  end,  strengthens  this  similarity. 

Some  of  the  characteristics  above  enumerated  belong  only  to 
the  bull.  The  cow  is  less  shaggy  in  front,  has  a  smaller  head,  a 
Jess  fierce  appearance,  and  is  altogether  more  like  the  common 
black  cattle. 

The  buffalo  is  of  a  dark  brown  colour — sometimes  nearly 
black — and  sometimes  of  a  burnt  or  liver  hue  ;  but  this  change 
depends  on  the  season.  The  young  coat  of  hair  is  darker,  but 
changes  as  the  season  advances.  In  autumn  it  is  nearly  black, 
and  then  the  coat  of  the  animal  has  a  shiny  appearance ;  but  as 
winter  comes  on,  and  the  hair  lengthens,  it  becomes  lighter  and 
more  bleached  like.  In  the  early  part  of  summer  it  has  a  yel 
lowish  brown  hue,  and  at  this  time,  with  rubbing  and  wallowing, 
part  of  it  has  already  come  off,  while  large  flakes  hang  ragged 
and  loose  from  the  flanks,  ready  at  any  moment  to  drop  off. 

In  size,  the  American  buffalo  competes  with  the  European 
species  (Bos  aurochs),  now  nearly  extinct.  These  animals  differ 
in  shape  considerably,  but  the  largest  individuals  of  each  species 
would  very  nearly  balance  one  another  in  weight.  Either  of  them 
is  equal  in  size  and  weight  to  the  largest  specimens  of  the  com 
mon  ox — prize  oxen,  of  course,  excepted. 


THE   BISON.  SOT 

A  full-grown  buffalo  bull  is  six  feet  high  at  the  shoulders, 
eight  feet  from  the  snout  to  the  base  of  the  tail,  and  will  weigh 
about  1500  Ibs. 

Rare  individuals  exist  whose  weight  much  exceeds  this.  The 
cows  are,  of  course,  much  smaller  than  the  bulls,  and  scarcely 
come  up  to  the  ordinary  standard  of  farm  cattle. 

The  flesh  of  the  buffalo  is  juicy  and  delicious,  equal,  indeed 
superior,  to  well-fed  beef.  It  may  be  regarded  as  beef  with  a 
game,  flavour.  Many  people — travellers  and  hunters — prefer  it 
to  any  other  species  of  meat. 

The  flesh  of  the  cow,  as  may  be  supposed,  is  more  tender  and 
savoury  than  that  of  the  bull;  and  in  a  hunt  when  "meat"  is 
the  object,  the  cow  is  selected  as  a  mark  for  the  arrow  or  bullet. 

The  parts  most  esteemed  are  the  tongue,  the  "  hump-ribs '; 
(the  long  spinous  processes  of  the  first  dorsal  vertebrae),  and  the 
marrow  of  the  shank  bones.  "Boudins"  (part  of  the  intestines) 
are  also  favourite  tit-bits  among  the  Indians  and  trappers. 

The  tongues,  when  dried,  are  really  superior  to  those  of  com 
mon  beeves,  and,  indeed,  the  same  may  be  said  of  the  other 
parts,  but  there  is  a  better  and  worse  in  buffalo  beef,  according 
to  the  age  and  sex  of  the  animal.  "  Fat  Cow"  is  a  term  for  the 
super-excellent,  and  by  "  poor  bull,"  or  "  old  bull,"  is  meant  a 
very  unpalatable  article,  only  to  be  eaten  by  the  hunter  in  times 
of  necessity. 

The  range  of  the  buffalo  is  extensive,  though  not  as  it  once 
was,  it  is  gradually  being  restricted  by  hunter-pressure,  and  the 
encroachments  of  civilization.  It  now  consists  of  a  longitudinal 
strip,  of  which  the  western  boundary  may  be  considered  the 


808  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

\ 

Rocky  Mountains,  and  the  eastern  the  Mississippi  River,  though 
it  is  only  near  the  head  waters  of  the  latter  that  the  range  of 
this  animal  extends  so  far  east.  Below  the  mouth  of  the  Mis 
souri  no  buffalo  are  found  near  the  Mississippi,  nor  within  two 
hundred  miles  of  it — not,  in  fact,  until  you  have  cleared  the 
forests  that  fringe  this  stream,  and  penetrated  a  good  distance 
into  the  prairie  tract.  At  one  period,  however,  they  roamed  as 
far  to  the  east  as  the  chain  of  the  Alleghanies. 

In  Texas,  the  buffalo  yet  extends  its  migrations  to  the  head 
waters  of  the  Brazos  and  Colorado,  but  it  is  not  a  Mexican  ani 
mal.  Following  the  Rocky  Mountains  from  the  great  bend  of 
the  Rio  Grande  northward,  we  find  no  buffalo  west  of  them 
until  we  reach  the  higher  latitude  near  the  sources  of  the  Sas 
katchewan.  There  they  have  crossed  the  mountains,  and  are 
now  to  be  met  with  in  some  of  thrc  plains  that  lie  on  the  other 
side.  This,  however,  is  a  late  migration,  occasioned  by  hunter- 
pressure  upon  the  eastern  slope.  The  same  has  been  observed 
at  different  periods,  at  other  points  in  the  Rocky  Mountain 
chain,  where  the  buffalo  had  made  a  temporary  lodgment  on  the 
Pacific  side  of  the  mountain,  but  where  they  are  now  entirely 
extinct.  It  is  known,  from  the  traditional  history  of  the  tribes 
on  the  west  side,  that  the  buffalo  was  only  a  newcomer  among 

them,  and  was  not  indigenous  to  that  division  of  the  Continent. 

•vv  • 
Following  the  buffaloes  north,  we  find  their  range  coterminous 

with  the  prairies.  The  latter  end  in  an  angle  between  the  Peace 
River  and  the  great  Slave  Lake,  and  beyond  this  the  buffalo 
does  not  run.  There  is  a  point,  however,  across  an  arm  of  the 
Slave  Lake  where  buffalo  are  found.  It  is  called  Slave  Point 


THE   BISON.  309 

and  although  contiguous  to  the  primitive  rocks  of  the  "  Barren 
Grounds"  it  is  of  a  similar  geology  (stratified  limestone)  with 
the  buffalo  prairies  to  the  west.  This,  to  the  geologist,  is  an 
interesting  fact. 

From  the  Slave  Lake,  a  line  drawn  to  the  head  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  passing  through  Lake  Winnipeg,  will  shut  in 
the  buffalo  country  along  the  north-east.  They  are  still  found  in 
large  bands  upon  the  western  shores  of  Winnipeg,  on  the  plains 
of  the  Saskatchewan  and  the  Red  River  of  the  north.  In  fact, 
buffalo-hunting  is  one  of  the  chief  employments  of  the  inhabitants 
of  that  half-Indian  colony  known  as  the  "  Red  River  Settle 
ments.'7 

One  of  the  most  singular  facts  in  relation  to  the  buffalo  is 
their  enormous  numbers.  Nothing  but  the  vast  extent  of  their 
pasturage  could  have  sustained  such  droves  as  have  from  time  to 
time  been  seen.  Thousands  frequently  feed  together,  and  the 
plain  for  miles  is  often  covered  with  a  continuous  drove.  Some 
times  they  are  seen  strung  out  into  a  long  column,  passing  from 
place  to  place,  and  roads  exist  made  by  them  that  resemble 
great  highways.  Sometimes  these  roads,  worn  by  the  rains, 
form  great  hollows  that  traverse  the  level  plain,  and  they  often 

guide  the  thirsty  traveller  in  the  direction  of  water. 

• 

Another  curious  fact  about  the  buffalo  is  their  habit  of 
wallowing.  The  cause  of  this  is  not  well  ascertained.  It  may 
be  that  they  are  prompted  to  it,  as  swine  are,  partly  to  cool  their 
blood  by  bringing  their  bodies  in  contact  with  the  colder  earth, 
and  partly  to  scratch  themselves  as  other  cattle  do,  and  free 
their  skins  from  the  annoying  insects  and  parasites  that  prey 


310  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

upon  them.  It  must  be  remembered  that  in  their  pasturage  no 
trees  or  "  rubbing  posts  "  are  to  be  found,  and  in  the  absence  of 
these  they  are  compelled  to  resort  to  wallowing.  They  fling 
themselves  upon  their  sides,  and  using  their  hunch  and  shoulder 
as  a  pivot,  spin  round  and  round  for  hours  at  a  time.  In  this 
rotatory  motion  they  aid  themselves  by  using  the  legs  freely. 
The  earth  becomes  hollowed  out  and  worn  into  a  circular  basin, 
often  of  considerable  depth,  and  this  is  known  as  a  "  buffalo 
wallow."  Such  curious  circular  concavities  are  seen  throughout 
the  prairies  where  these  animals  range  ''sometimes  grown  over 
With  grass,  sometimes  freshly  hollowed  out,  and  not  unfrequently 
containing  water,  with  which  the  traveller  assuages  his  thirst, 
and  so,  too,  the  buffalo  themselves.  This  has  led  to  the  fanciful 
idea  of  the  early  explorers,  that  there  existed  on  the  American 
Continent  an  animal  who  dug  its  own  wells  ! 

The  buffaloes  make  extensive  migrations,  going  in  large 
"  gangs."  These  are  not  periodical,  and  are  only  partially 
influenced  by  climate.  They  are  not  regular  e"ither  in  their 
direction.  Sometimes  the  gangs  will  be  seen  straying  southward, 
at  other  times  to  the  north,  east,  or  west. 

The  search  of  food  or  water  seems  partially  to  regulate  these 
movements,  as  with  the  passenger  pigeon,  and  some  other 
migratory  creatures. 

At  such  times  the  buffaloes  move  forward  in  an  impetuous 
march  which  nothing  seems  to  interrupt.  Ravines,  are  passed, 
and  waterless  plains  traversed,  and  rivers  crossed  without 
nesitation.  In  many  cases  broad  streams,  with  steep  or  marshy 
banns,  are  attempted,  and  thousands  either  perish  in  the  waters 


THE   BISON.  311 

or  become  mired  in  the  swamp,  and  cannot  escape,  but  die  the 
most  terribFe  of  deaths.  Then  is  the  feast  of  the  eagles,  the 
vultures,  and  the  wolves.  Sometimes,  too,  the  feast  of  the 
hunter  ;  for  when  the  Indians  discover  a  gang  of  buffaloes  in  a 
difficulty  of  this  kind,  the  slaughter  is  immense. 

Hunting  the  buffalo  is,  among  the  Indian  tribes,  a  profession 
rather  than  a  sport.  Those  who  practise  it  in  the  latter  sense 
are  few  indeed,  as,  to  enjoy  it,  it  is  necessary  to  do  as  we  had 
done,  make  a  journey  of  several  hundred  miles,  and  risk  our 
scalps,  with  no  inconsiderable  chance  of  losing  them.  For  these 
reasons  few  amateur  hunters  ever  trouble  the  buffalo. 

The  true  professional  hunters — the  white  trappers  and  Indians 
— pursue  these  animals  almost  incessantly,  and  thin  their  numbers 
with  lance,  rifle,  and  arrow. 

Buffalo-hunting  is  not  all  sport  without  peril.  The  hunter 
frequently  risks  his  life  ;  and  numerous  have  been  the  fatal 
results  of  encounters  with  these  animals.  The  bulls,  when 
wounded,  cannot  be  approached,  even  on  horseback,  without 
considerable  risk,  while  a  dismounted  hunter  has  but  slight 
chance  of  escaping. 

The  buffalo  runs  with  a  gait  apparently  heavy  and  lumbering 
— first  heaving  to  one  side,  then  to  the  other,  like  a  ship  at  sea  ; 
but  this  gait,  although  not  equal  in  speed  to  that  of  a  horse,  is 
far  too  fast  for  a  man  on  foot,  and  the  swiftest  runner,  unless 
favoured  by  a  tree  or  some  other  object,  will  be  surely  overtaken, 
and  either  gored  to  death  by  the  animal's  horns,  or  pounded  to 
a  jelly  under  its  heavy  hoofs.  Instances  of  the  kind  aio  Tar 
from  being  rare,  and  could  amateur  hunters  only  get  at  tho 


312 

t 

buffalo,  such  occurrences  would  be  fearfully  common.  An  incident 
illustrative  of  these  remarks  is  told  by  the  traveller  arid  natural 
ist  Richardson,  and  may  therefore  be  safely  regarded  as  a  fact. 

"While  I  resided  at  Oharlton  House,  an  incident  of  this  kind 
occurred.  Mr.  Finnan  M'Donald,  one  of  the  Hudson's  Bay 
Company's  clerks,  was  descending  the  Saskatchewan  in  a  boat, 
and  one  evening,  having  pitched  his  tent  for  the  night,  he  went 
out  in  the  dusk  to  look  for  game. 

"  It  had  become  nearly  dark  when  he  fired  at  a  bison  bull, 
which  was  galloping  over  a  small  eminence;  and  as  he  was 
hastening  forward  to  see  if  the  shot  had  taken  effect,  the 
wounded  beast  made  a  rush  at  him.  He  had  the  presence  of 
mind  to  seize  the  animal  by  the  long  hair  on  his  forehead,  as  it 
struck  him  on  the  side  with  its  horn,  and  being  a  remarkably 
tall  and  powerful  man,  a  struggle  ensued,  which  continued  until 
his  wrist  was  severely  sprained,  and  his  arm  was  rendered  power 
less  ;  he  then  fell,  and  after  receiving  two  or  three  blows,  became 
senseless. 

"  Shortly  after,  he  was  found  by  his  companions  lying  bathed 
in  blood,  being  gored  in  several  places;  and  the  bison  was 
couched  beside  him,  apparently  waiting  to  renew  the  attack,  had 
he  shown  any  signs  of  life.  Mr.  M'Donald  recovered  from  the 
immediate  effects  of  the  injuries  he  received,  but  died  a  few 
months  after."  Dr.  Richardson  adds : — "  Many  other  instances 
might  be  mentioned  of  the  tenaciousness  with  which  this  animal 
pursues  its  revenge ;  and  I  have  been  told  of  a  hunter  having 
been  detained  for  many  hours  in  a  tree,  by  an  old  bull  which 
had  taken  its  post  below  to  watch  him." 


THE    BISON.  313 

The  numbers  of  the  buffalo,  although  still  very  great,  are 
annually  on  the  decrease.  Their  woolly  skins,  when  dressed, 
are  of  great  value  as  an  article  of  commerce.  Among  the 
Canadians  they  are  in  general  use ;  they  constitute  the  favourite 
wrappers  of  the  traveller  in  that  cold  climate :  they  line  the 
cariole,  the  carriage,  and  the  sleigh.  Thousands  of  them  are 
used  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  United  States  for  a  similar 
purpose.  They  are  known  as  buffalo-robes,  and  are  often 
prettily  trimmed  and  ornamented,  so  as  to  command  a  good 
price.  They  are  even  exported  to  Europe  in  large  quantities. 

Of  course  this  extensive  demand  for  the  robes  causes  a  pro 
portionate  destruction  among  the  buffaloes.  But  this  is  not  all. 
Whole  tribes  of  Indians,  amounting  to  many  thousands  of 
individuals,  subsist  entirely  upon  these  animals,  as  the  Laplander 
upon  the  reindeer,  or  the  Guarani  Indian  upon  the  moricke 
palm.  Their  blankets  are  buffalo-robes,  part  of  their  clothing 
buffalo-leather,  their  tents  are  buffalo-hides,  and  buffalo-beef  is 
their  sole  food  for  three  parts  of  the  year.  The  large  prairie 
tribes — as  the  Sioux,  the  Pawnees,  the  Blackfeet,  the  Crows, 
the  Chiennes,  the  Arapahoes,  and  the  Coman dies,  with  several 
smaller  bands — live  upon  the  buffalo.  These  tribes,  united1 
number  at  least  100,000  souls.  No  wonder  the  buffalo  should 
be  each  year  diminishing  iti  numbers! 

It  is  predicted  that  in  a  few  years  the  race  will  become  extinct. 
The  same  has  been  often  said  of  the  Indian.  The  soi-disant 
prophet  is  addicted  to  this  sort  of  melancholy  foreboding,  because 
he  believes  by  such  babbling  he  gains  a  character  for  philan 
thropic  sympathy  ;  besides,  it  has  a  poetic  sound.  Believe  me, 

14 


314 


there  is  not  the  slightest  danger  of  such  a  destiny  for  the  Indian : 
liis  race  is  not  to  become  extinct ;  it  will  be  on  the  earth  as  long 
as  that  of  either  black  or  white.  Civilisation  is  removing  the 
seeds  of  decay  ;  civilisation  will  preserve  the  race  of  the  red  man 
yet  to  multiply.  Civilisation,  too,  may  preserve  the  buffalo. 
The  hunter  races  must  disappear,  and  give  place  to  the  more 
useful  agriculturist.  The  prairies  are  wide — vast  expanses  of 
that  singular  formation  must  remain  in  their  primitive  wildness, 
at  least  for  ages^and  these  will  still  be  a  safe  range  for  the 
buffalo. 


TRAILING    THE    BUFFALO.  315 


CHAPTER  XXXIII. 

TRAILING    THE    BUFFALO. 

AFTER  a  breakfast  of  fresh  buffalo-meat,  we  took  trie  road  in 
high  spirits.  The  long-expected  sport  would  soon  come  off. 
Every  step  showed  us  "  buffalo  sign  " — tracks,  wallows,  fresh 
ordure.  None  of  the  animals  were  yet  in  sight,  but  the  prairie 
was  filled  with  undulations,  and  no  doubt  "  a  gang  "  would  be 
found  in  some  of  the  valleys. 

A  few  miles  farther  on,  and  we  came  suddenly  upon  a 
"  buffalo  road,"  traversing  the  prairie  nearly  at  right  angles  to 
our  own  direction.  This  caused  a  halt  and  consultation. 
Should  we  follow  the  road  ?  By  all  means  thought  every  one. 
The  tracks  were  fresh — the  road  a  large  one — thousands  of 
buffaloes  must  have  passed  over  it ;  where  were  they  now  ? 
They  might  be  a  hundred  miles  off,  for  when  these  animals  get 
upon  one  of  these  regular  roads  they  often  journey  at  great 
speed,  and  it  is  difficult  to  overtake  them.  When  merely 
browsing  over  the  prairie  the  case  is  different.  Then  they  travel 
only  a  few  miles  a  day,  and  a  hunter  trailing  them  soon  comes  up 
with  the  gang. 

Ike  and  Redwood  were  consulted  as  to  what  was  best  to  be 
done.  They  had  both  closely  examined  the  trail,  bending  down 
to  the  ground,  and  carefully  noting  every  symptom  that  would 


31(?  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

give  them  a  clue  to  the  condition  of  the  herd — its  numbers — 
its  time  of  passing — the  rate  of  its  speed,  &c. 

"  Thur's  a  good  grist  o'  em,"  said  Ike,  "  leastways  a  kupple  o' 
thousand  in  the  gang — thur's  bulls,  cows,  yearling,  an'  young 
calf  too,  so  we'll  have  a  choice  o'  meat — either  beef  or  veal. 
Kin  we  do  better  than  foller  'em  up  ?  Eh,  Mark  ?" 

"  Wai !  I  don't  think  we  can,  ole  hoss,"  replied  Redwood. 
"  They  passed  hyur  yesterday,  jest  about  noon — that  is,  the 
thick  o'  the  drove  passed  then." 

"  How  do  you  tell  that  ?"  inquired  several. 

"  Oh,  that's  easy  made  out,"  replied  the  guide,  evidently 
regarding  the  question  as  a  very  simple  one ;  "  you  see  most  o' 
these  hyur  tracks  is  a  day  old,  an'  yet  thur  not  two." 

"  And  why  not  ?" 

"  Why,  how  could  they  be  two  ?"  asked  the  guide  in  asto 
nishment,  "  when  it  rained  yesterday  before  sun-up  ?  Thur 
made  since  the  rain,  yu'll  admit  that  f" 

We  now  remembered  the  rain,  and  acknowledged  the  truth 
of  this  reasoning.  The  animals  must  have  passed  since  it 
rained ;  but  why  not  immediately  after,  in  the  early  morning  ? 
How  could  Redwood  tell  that  it  was  the  hour  of  noon  ?  How  ? 

"  Easy  enough,  comrades,"  replied  he. 

•"  Any  greenhorn  mout  do  that,"  added  Ike.  The  rest,  how 
ever,  were  puzzled,  and  waited  the  explanation. 

"  I  tells  this  a  way,"  continued  the  guide.  "  Ef  the  buffler 
had  passed  by  hyur,  immediately  after  the  rain,  thar  tracks  wud 
a  sunk  deeper,  and  thar  wud  a  been  more  mud  on  the  trail.  As 
thar  ain't  no  great  slobber  about,  ye  see,  I  make  my  kalklations 


TRAILING  THE   BUFFALO.  31 1 

that  the  ground  must  a  been  well  dried  afore  they  kirn  along, 
and  after  such  a  wet,  it  could  not  have  been  afore  noon  at  the 
least — so  that's  how  I  know  the  buffler  passed  at  that  hour." 

We  were  all  interested  in  this  craft  of  our  guides,  for  without 
consulting  each  other  they  had  both  arrived  at  the  same  conclu 
sion  by  the  same  process  of  mental  logic.  They  had  also  deter 
mined  several  other  points  about  the  buffalo — such  as  that  they 
had  not  all  gone  together,  but  in  a  straggling  herd ;  that  some 
had  passed  more  rapidly  than  the  rest ;  that  no  hunters  were 
after  them ;  and  that  it  was  probable  they  were  not  bound  upon 
any  distant  migration,  but  only  in  search  of  water;  and  the 
direction  they  had  taken  rendered  this  likely  enough.  Indeed 
most  of  the  great  buffalo  roads  lead  to  watering-places,  and 
they  have  often  been  the  means  of  conducting  the  thirsty  travel 
ler  to  the  welcome  rivulet  or  spring,  when  otherwise  he  might 
have  perished  upon  the  dry  plain.  Whether  the  buffalo  are 
guided  by  some  instinct  towards  water,  is  a  question  not  satis 
factorily  solved.  Certain  it  is,  that  their  water  paths  often  le&;1 
in  the  most  direct  route  to  streams  and  ponds,  of  the  existence 
of  which  they  could  have  known  nothing  previously.  It  is  cer 
tain  that  many  of  the  lower  animals  possess  either  an  "instinct," 
or  a  much  keener  sense  in  these  matters  than  man  himself.  Long 
before  the  thirsty  traveller  suspects  the  propinquity  of  water,  his 
sagacious  mule,  by  her  joyful  hinney,  and  suddenly  altered  bear 
ing,  warns  him  of  its  presence. 

We  now  reasoned  that  if  the  buffalo  had  been  making  to  some 
watering-place,  merely  for  the  purpose  of  drinking  and  cooling 
their  flanks,  they  would,  of  course,  make  a  delay  there,  and  sc 


318 

give  ns  a  chance  of  coming  up.  They  had  a  day  the  start  of  us, 
it  is  true,  but  we  should  do  our  best  to  overhaul  them.  The 
guides  assured  us  we  were  likely  to  have  good  sport  before  we 
came  up  with  the  great  gang.  There  were  straggling  groups, 
they  had  no  doubt,  some  perhaps  not  over  thirsty,  that  had  hung 
in  the  rear.  In  high  hopes,  then,  we  turned  our  heads  to  the 
trail,  and  travelled  briskly  forward. 

We  had  not  gone  many  hundred  yards  when  a  very  singular 
scene  was  presented  to  our  eyes.  We  had  gained  the  crest  of  a 
ridge,  and  were  looking  down  into  a  little  valley  through  which 
«-an  the  trail.  At  the  bottom  of  the  valley  a  cloud  of  dust  was 
constantly  rising  upward,  and  very  slowly  moving  away,  as  the 
day  was  quite  calm.  Although  there  had  been  rain  a  little  over 
thirty  hours  before,  the  ground  was  already  parched  and  dry  as 
pepper.  But  what  caused  the  dust  to  rise  ?  Not  the  wind — 
there  was  none.  Some  animal  then,  or  likely  more  than 
one ! 

At  first  we  could  perceive  no  creature  within  the  cloud,  so 
dun  and  thick  was  it;  but  after  a  little  a  wolf  dashed  out,  ran 
round  a  bit,  and  then  rushed  in  again,  and  then  another  and 
another,  all  of  them  with  open  jaws,  glaring  eyes,  manes  erect, 
and  tails  switching  about  in  a  violent  and  angry  manner.  Now 
and  then  we  could  only  see  part  of  their  bodies,  or  their  bushy 
tails  flung  upward,  but  we  could  hear  by  their  yelping  barks 
that  they  were  engaged  in  a  fierce  contest  either  among  them 
selves,  or  with  some  other  enemy.  It  was  not  among  themselves, 
as  Ike  and  Redwood  both  affirmed. 

"  An  old  bull 's  the  game,"  said  they  ;  and  without  waiting  a 


TRAILING   THE    BUFFALO.  319 

moment,  the  two  trappers  galloped  forward,  followed  closely  by 
the  rest  of  our  party. 

We  were  soon  in  the  bottom  of  the  little  valley.  Ike  already 
cracking  away  at  the  wolves — his  peculiar  enemies.  Several 
others,  led  away  by  the  excitement,  also  emptied  their  pieces  at 
these  worthless  creatures,  slaying  a  number  of  them,  while  the 
rest,  nearly  a  dozen  in  all,  took  to  their  heels,  and  scampered 
off  over  the  ridges.  .  *  ,'. 

The  dust  gradually  began  to  float  off,  and  through  the  thinner 
cloud  that  remained  we  now  saw  what  the  wolves  had  been  at. 
Standing  in  the  centre  of  a  ring,  formed  by  its  own  turnings 
and  struggles,  was  the  huge  form  of  a  buffalo-bull.  Its  shape 
indicated  that  it  was  a  very  old  one,  lank,  lean,  and  covered 
with  long  hair,  raggled  and  torn  into  tufts.  Its  colour  was  that 
of  the  white  dust,  but  red  blood  was  streaming  freshly  down  its 
hind  flanks,  and  from  its  nose  and  mouth.  The  cartilage  of  the 
nose  was  torn  into  pieces  by  the  fierce  enemies  it  had  so  lately 
encountered,  and  on  observing  it  more  closely  we  saw  that  its 
eyes  were  pulled  out  of  their  sockets,  exhibiting  a  fearful  spec 
tacle.  The  tail  was  eaten  off  by  repeated  wrenches,  and  the 
hind  quarters  were  sadly  mangled.  Spite  of  all  this  mutilation, 
the  old  bull  still  kept  his  feet,  and  his  prowess  had  been  proved, 
for  no  less  than  five  wolves  lay  around,  that  he  had  "  rubbed 
out "  previous  to  our  arrival.  He  was  a  terrible  and  melancholy 
spectacle — that  old  bull,  and  all  agreed  it  would  be  better  to 
relieve  him  by  a  well-aimed  bullet.  This  was  instantly  fired  at 
him  ;  and  the  animal,  after  rocking  about  a  while  on  his  spread 
legs,  fell  gently  to  the  earth. 


320  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

Of  course  he  had  proved  himself  too  tough  to  be  eatable  by 
anything  but  prairie-wolves,  and  we  were  about  to  leave  him  as 
he  lay.  Ike,  however,  had  no  idea  of  gratifying  these  sneaking 
creatures  at  so  cheap  a  rate.  He  was  determined  they  should 
not  have  their  dinner  so  easily,  so  taking  out  his  knife  he 
extracted  the  bladder,  and  some  of  the  smaller  intestines  from 
the  buffalo.  These  he  inflated  in  a  trice,  and  then  rigging  up  a 
isapling  over  the  body,  he  hung  them  upon  it,  so  that  the 
slightest  breeze  kept  them  in  motion.  This,  as  we  had  been 
already  assured,  was  the  best  mode  of  keeping  wolves  at  a  dis 
tance  from  any  object,  and  the  hunter,  when  wolves  are  near, 
often  avails  himself  of  it  to  protect  the  venison  or  buffalo-meat 
which  he  is  obliged  to  leave  behind  him. 

X 

The  guide  having  rigged  his  "scare  wolf,"  mounted  his  old 
mare,  and  again  joined  us,  muttering  his  satisfaction  as  he  rode 
along. 

We  had  not  travelled  much  farther  when  our  attention 
was  attracted  by  noises  in  front,  and  again  from  a  ridge  we 
beheld  a  scene  still  more  interesting  than  that  we  had  just 
witnessed.  As  before,  the  actors  were  buffalo  and  wolves,  but 
this  time  there  was  very  little  dust,  as  the  contest  was  carried  on 
upon  the  green  turf — and  we  could  see  distinctly  the  manoeuvres 
of  the  animals. 

There  were  three  buffaloes — a  cow,  her  calf,  and  a  large  bull, 
that  was  acting  as  their  champion  and  protector.  A  pack  of 
wolves  had  gathered  around  them,  in  which  there  were  some 
Of  the  larger  species,  and  these  kept  up  a  continuous  attack,  the 
object  of  which  was  to  destroy  the  calf,  and  its  mother  if  pos- 


TRAILING   THE    BUFFALO.  321 

.  This  the  bull  was  using  all  his  endeavours  to  prevent,  and 
with  considerable  success  too,  as  already  several  of  the  wolves 
were  down,  and  howling  with  pain.  But  what  rendered  the 
result  doubtful  was,  that  fresh  wolves  were  constantly  galloping 
up  to  the  spot,  and  the  buffaloes  would  likely  have  to  yield  in 
time.  It  was  quite  amusing  to  see  the  efforts  made  by  the 
cunning  brutes,  to  separate  the  calf  from  its  protectors.  Some 
times  they  would  get  it  a  few  feet  to  one  side,  and  fling  it  to  the 
ground  ;  but  before  they  could  do  it  any  great  injury,  the  active 
bull,  and  the  cow  as  well,  would  rush  forward  upon  them,  scat 
tering  the  cowardly  creatures  like  a  flock  of  birds.  Then  the 
calf  would  place  itself  between  the  old  ones,  and  would  thus 
remain  for  a  while,  until  the  wolves,  having  arranged  some  new 
plan,  would  recommence  the  attack,  and  drive  it  forth  again. 
Once  the  position  was  strikingly  in  favour  of  the  buffaloes.  This 
position,  which  seemed  in  the  hurry  of  the  conflict  to  turn  up 
accidentally,  was  in  fact  the  result  of  design,  for  the  old  ones 
every  now  and  then  endeavoured  to  renew  it,  but  were  hindered 
by  the  stupidity  of  the  calf.  The  latter  was  placed  between 
them  in  such  a  way  that  the  heads  of  the  bull  and  cow  were  in 
opposite  directions,  and  thus  both  flanks  were  guarded.  In  thia 
way  the  buffaloes  might  have  held  their  ground,  but  the  silly 
calf  when  closely  menaced  by  the  wolves  foolishly  started  out, 
rendering  it  necessary  for  its  protectors  to  assume  a  new  attitude 
of  defence. 

It  was  altogether  a  singular  conflict,  a  touching  picture  of 
parental  fondness.  The  end  of  it  was  easily  guessed.  The 
wolves  would  tire  out  the  old  ones,  and  get  hold  of  the  calf  of 

U* 


822  r  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

course,  although  they  might  spend  a  long  time  about  it.  But 
the  great  herd  was  distant,  and  there  was  no  hope  for  the  cow 
to  get  her  offspring  back  to  its  protection.  It  would  certainly 
be  destroyed. 

Notwithstanding  our  sympathy  for  the  little  family  thus 
assailed,  we  were  not  less  anxious  to  do  for  them  just  what  the 
wolves  wished  to  do — kill  and  eat  them.  With  this  intent  we 
all  put  spur  to  our  horses,  and  galloped  right  forward  to  the 
spot. 

Not  one  of  the  animals — neither  wolves  nor  buffaloes — took 
any  notice  of  us  until  we  were  within  a  few  yards  of  them.  The 
wolves  then  scampered  off,  but  already  the  cracking  rifles  and 
shot-guns  were  heard  above  the  shouts  of  the  charging  cavalcade, 
and  both  the  cow  and  calf  were  seen  sinking  to  the  earth.  Not 
so  the  huge  bull.  With  glaring  eyeballs  he  glanced  around 
upon  his  new  assailants,  and  then,  as  if  aware  that  farther  strife 
was  useless,  he  stretched  forth  his  neck,  and  breaking  through 
the  line  of  horsemen,  went  off  in  full  flight. 

A  fresh  touch  of  the  spur,  with  a  wrench  of  the  bridle-rein, 
brought  our  horses  round,  and  set  t.fieir  heads  after  him,  and 
then  followed  as  fine  a  piece  of  chasing  as  I  remember  to  have 
taken  part  in.  The  whole  eight  of  us  swept  over  the  plain  in 
pursuit,  but  as  we  had  emptied  our  pieces  on  the  first  charging 
up,  there  wa<*  not  one  ready  to  deliver  a  shot  even  should  we 
overtake  the  game.  In  the  quick  gallop  no  one  thought  of 
re-loading.  Our  pistols,  however,  were  still  charged,  and  these 
were  grasped  and  held  in  readiness. 

It  was  one  of  the  most  exciting  chases.     There  before  us 


TRAILING   THE    BUFFALO.  323 

galloped  the  great  game,  under  full  view,  with  neither  brake  nor 
bush  to  interrupt  the  pleasure  of  our  wild  race.  The  bull 
proved  to  be  one  of  .the  fastest  of  his  kind — for  there  is  a  consi 
derable  difference  in  this  respect.  He  led  us  nearly  half-a-mile 
across  the  ridges  before  even  the  best  of  our  horses  could  come 
up,  and  then  just  as  we  were  closing  in  upon  him,  before  a  shot 
had  been  fired,  he  was  seen  to  give  a  sudden  lounge  forward  and 
tumble  over  upon  the  ground. 

Some  of  us  fancied  he  had  only  missed  his  footing  and 
stumbled  ;  but  no  motion  could  be  perceived  as  we  rode  forward, 
and  on  coming  up  he  was  found  to  be  quite  dead  1  A  rifle 
bullet  had  done  the  work — one  that  had  been  fired  in  the  first 
volley  ;  and  his  strong  fast  run  was  only  the  last  spasmodic 
effort  of  his  life. 

One  or  two  remained  by  the  dead  bull  to  get  his  hide  and  the 
"tit-bits"  of  his  meat,  while  the  rest  rode  back  to  recover  the 
more  precious  cow  and  calf.  What  was  our  chagrin  to  find 
that  the  rascally  wolves  had  been  before  us  !  Of  the  tender 
calf,  not  a  morsel  remained  beyond  a  few  tufts  of  hairy  skin, 
and  the  cow  was  so  badly  torn  and  mutilated  that  she  was  not 
worth  cutting  up  !  Even  the  tongue,  that  most  delicate  bit,  had 
been  appropriated  by  the  sneaking  thieves,  and  eaten  out  to  the 
very  root. 

As  soon  as  they  had  observed  us  coming  back,  they  had  taken 
to  their  heels,  each  carrrying  a  large  piece  with  him,  and  we 
could  now  see  them  out  upon  the  prairie  devouring  the  meat 
before  our  very  eyes.  -Ike  was  loud  in  his  anathemas,  and  but 
that  the  creatures  were  too  cunning  for  him,  would  have  taken 


324  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

his  revenge  upon  the  spot.  They  kept  off,  however*,  beyond 
range  of  either  rifle  or  double  barrel,  and  Ike  was  forced  to 
nurse  his  wrath  for  some  other  occasion. 

We  now  went  back  to  the  bull,  where  we  encamped  for  the 
night.  The  latter,  tough  as  he  was,  furnished  us  an  excellent 
supper  from  his  tongue,  hump-ribs,  boudins,  and  marrow  bones, 
and  we  all  lay  down  to  sleep  and  dream  of  the  sports  to 
morrow. 


APPROACHING  THE  BUFFALO.  325 


CHAPTER   XXXIV. 

APPROACHING    THE    BUFFALO. 

NEXT  morning,  just  as  we  were  preparing  to  resume  our  jour 
ney,  a  gang  of  buffalo  appeared  upon  one  of  the  swells,  at  the 
distance  of  a  mile  or  a  mile  and  a  half  from  our  camp.  There 
were  about  a  dozen  of  them,  and,  as  our  guides  asserted,  they 
were  all  cows.  This  was  just  what  we  wanted,  as  the  flesh  of 
the  cows  is  much  more  delicate  than  that  of  the  bulls,  and  were 
eager  to  lay  in  a  stock  of  it. 

A  hurried  consultation  was  held,  in  which  it  was  debated  as 
to  the  best  manner  of  making  an  attack  upon  the  herd.  Some 
advised  that  we  should  ride  boldly  forward,  and  overtake  the 
cows  by  sheer  swiftness,  but  this  mode  was  objected  to  by  others. 
The  cows  are  at  times  very  shy.  They  might  break  off  long 
before  we  were  near,  and  give  our  horses  such  a  gallop  as 
would  render  them  useless  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  Besides,  our 
animals  were  in  no  condition  for  such  exercise.  Our  stock  of 
corn  had  run  out,  and  the  grass  feeding  and  hard  travelling  had 
reduced  most  of  them  to  skeletons.  A  hard  gallop  was  there 
fore  to  be  avoided  if  possible. 

Among  those  who  counselled  a  different  course  were  the  guides 
Ike  and  Eedwood.  These  men  thought  it  would  be  much  better 


326  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

to  try  the  cows  by  "  approaching,"  that  is,  by  endeavouring  to 
creep  up,  and  get  a  shot  when  iiear  enough.  The  ground  was 
favourable  enough  for  it,  as  there  were  here  and  there  little 
clumps  of  cactus  plants  and  bushes  of  the  wild  sage  (artcmisia) , 
behind  which  a  hunter  might  easily  conceal  himself.  The  trap 
pers  farther  alleged  that  the  herd  would  not  be  likely  to  make 
off  at  the  first  shot,  unless  the  hunter  discovered  himself.  On 
the  contrary,  one  after  another  might  fall,  and  not  frighten  the 
rest,  so  long  as  these  did  not  get  to  leeward,  and  detect  the 
presence  of  their  enemy  by  the  scent. 

The  wind  was  in  our  favour,  and  this  was  a  most  important 
consideration.  Had  it  been  otherwise  the  game  would  have 
"  winded "  us  at  a  mile's  distance,  as  they  can  recognise  the 
smell  of  man,  and  frequently  comprehend  the  danger  of  being 
near  such  an  enemy.  Indeed,  it  is  on  their  great  power  of  scent 
that  the  buffalo  most  commonly  rely  for  warning.  The  eyes  of 
these  creatures,  and  particularly  the  bulls,  are  so  covered  with 
the  shaggy  hair  hanging  over  them,  that  individuals  are  often 
seen  quite  blinded  by  it,  and  a  hunter,  if  he  keep  silent  enough, 
may  walk  up  and  lay  his  hand  upon  them,  without  having  been 
previously  noticed.  This,  however,  can  only  occur  when  the 
hunter  travels  against  the  wind.  Otherwise  he  finds  the  buffalo 
as  shy  and  difficult  to  approach  as  most  game,  and  many  a  long 
spell  of  crouching  and  crawling  has  been  made  to  no  purpose,  a 
siugle  sniff  of  the  approaching  enemy  proving  enough  to  startle 
vhe  game,  and  send  it  off  in  wild  flight. 

Ike  and  his  brother  trapper  urged  that  if  the  approach  should 
prove  unsuccessful  there  would  still  be  time  to  "run"  the  herd, 


APPROACHING   THE    BUFFALO.  527 

as  those  who  did  not  attempt  the  former  method  might  keep  in 
their  saddles,  and  be  ready  to  gallop  forward. 

All  this  was  feasible  enough  ;  and  it  was  therefore  decided 
that  the  "  approach  "  should  have  a  trial.  The  trappers  had 
already  prepared  themselves  for  this  sort  of  thing.  They  were 
evidently  desirous  of  giving  us  an  exhibition  of  their  hunter- 
prowess,  and  we  were  ready  to  witness  it.  We  had  noticed  them 
busied  with  a  pair  of  large  wolf  skins,  which  they  had  taken  off 
the  animals  entire,  with  the  heads,  ears,  tails,  &c.,  remaining 
upon  the  skins.  The  purpose  of  these  was  to  enable  the  hun 
ters  to  disguise  themselves  as  wolves,  and  thus  crawl  within 
shooting  distance  of  the  buffalo  herd, 

Strange,  to  say  this  is  quite  possible.  Although  no  creature 
is  a  greater  enemy  to  the  buffalo  than  the  wolf,  the  former,  as 
already  stated,  permits  the  latter  to  approach  quite  close  to  him 
without  making  any  attempt  to  drive  him  off,  or  without 
exhibiting  the  slightest  symptoms  of  fear  on  his  own  account. 
The  buffalo  cannot  prevent  the  wolf  from  prowling  close  about 
him,  as  the  latter  is  sufficiently  active,  and  can  easily  get  out 
of  the  way  when  pursued  by  the  bulls — on  the  other  hand,  the 
buffaloes,  unless  when  separated  from  the  herd,  or  in  some  way 
disabled,  have  no  fear  of  the  wolf.  Under  ordinary  circumstances 
they  seem  wholly  to  disregard  his  presence.  The  consequence 
is,  that  a  wolf-skin  is  a  favourite  disguise  of  the  Indians  for 
approaching  the  buffalo,  and  our  trappers,  Ike  and  Redwood, 
had  often  practised  this  ruse.  We  were  likely  then  to  see  sport. 

Both  were  soon  equipped  in  their  white  wolf-skins,  their  heads 
being  enveloped  with  the  skins  of  the  wolves'  heads,  and  the 


328  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

remainder  tied  with  thongs,  so  as  to  cover  their  backs  and  sides. 
At  best  the  skins  formed  but  a  scanty  covering  to  the  bodies  of 
the  trappers  ;  but,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  the  buffalo 
has  not  a  very  keen  sense  of  sight,  and  so  long  as  the  decoys 
kept  to  leeward,  they  would  not  be  closely  scrutinised. 

When  fairly  in  their  new  dress,  the  hunters  parted  from  the 
company,  leaving  their  horses  at  the  camp.  The  rest  of  us  sat 
in  our  saddles,  ready  to  gallop  forward,  in  case  the  ruse  did  not 
succeed,  and  make  that  kind  of  a  hunt  called  "  running."  Of 
course  the  trappers  went  as  far  as  was  safe,  walking  in  an 
upright  attitude  ;  but  long  before  they  had  got  within  shot,  we 
saw  both  of  them  stoop  down  and  scramble  along  in,a  crouching 
way,  and  then  at  length  they  knelt  upon  the  ground,  and  pro 
ceeded  upon  their  hands  and  knees. 

It  required  a  good  long  time  to  enable  them  to  get  near 
enough  ;  and  we  on  horseback,  although  watching  every  manoeu 
vre  with  interest,  were  beginning  to  get  impatient.  The  buffalo 
however,  quietly  browsing  along  the  sward,  seemed  to  be  utterly 
unconscious  of  the  dangerous  foe  that  was  approaching  them, 
and  at  intervals  one  or  another  would  fling  itself  to  the  earth  in 
play,  and  after  kicking  and  wallowing  a  few  seconds,  start  to  its 
feet  again.  They  were  all  cows,  with  one  exception — a  bull — 
who  seemed  to  be  the  guardian  and  leader.  Even  at  a  mile's 
distance,  we  could  recognise  the  shape  and  size  of  the  latter,  as 
completely  differing  from  all  the  rest.  The  bull  seemed  to  be 
more  active  than  any,  moving  around  the  flock,  and  apparently 
Watching  over  their  safety. 

As  the  decoys  approached,  we  thought  that  the  bull  seemed 


APPROACHING  THE  BUFFALO.  329 

to  take  notice  of  them.  He  had  moved  out  to  that  side  of  the 
herd,  and  seemed  for  a  moment  to  scrutinise  them  as  they  drew 
near.  But  for  a  moment,  however,  for  he  turned  apparently 
satisfied,  and  was  soon  close  in  to  the  gang. 

Ike  and  Redwood  had  at  length  got  so  close,  that  we  were 
expecting  every  moment  to  see  the  flash  of  their  pieces.  They 
were  not  so  close,  however,  as  we  in  the  distance  fancied  them 
to  be. 

Just  at  this  moment  we  perceived  another  buffalo — a  large 
bull — running  up  behind  them.  He  had  just  made  his  appearance 
over  a  ridge,  and  was  now  on  his  way  to  join  the  herd.  The 
decoys  were  directly  in  his  way,  and  these  did  not  appear  to  see 
him  until  he  had  run  almost  between  them,  so  intent  were  they 
on  watching  the  others.  His  intrusion,  however,  evidently 
disconcerted  them,  spoiling  their  plans,  while  in  the  very  act  of 
being  carried  into  execution.  They  were,  no  doubt,  a  little 
startled  by  the  apparition  of  such  a  huge  shaggy  animal  coming 
suddenly  on  them.  Their  pieces  blazed  at  the  same  time,  and  the 
intruder  was  seen  rolling  over  upon  the  plain. 

But  the  ruse  was  over.  The  bull  that  guarded  the  herd  was 
witness  to  this  odd  encounter,  and  bellowing  a  loud  alarm  to  his 
companions,  set  off  at  a  lumbering  gallop.  All  the  rest  followed 
as  fast  as  their  legs  would  carry  them. 

Fortunately  they  ran,  not  directly  from  us,  but  in  a  line  that 
inclined  to  our  left.  By  taking  a  diagonal  course  we  might  yet 
head  them,  and  without  another  word  our  whole  party  put  to  the 
spur,  and  sprang  off  over  the  prairie. 

It  cost  us  a  five-mile  gallop  before  any  of  us  came  within 


330  THE    HUNTER^    FEAST. 

shooting-distance;  and  only  four  of  us  did  get  so  near — the 
naturalist,  Besan9ou,  the  Kentuckian,  and  myself.  Our  horses 
were  well  blown,  but  after  a  good  deal  of  encouragement  we  got 
them  side  by  side  with  the  flying  game. 

Each  one  chose  his  own,  and  then  delivered  his  shot  at  his 
best  convenience.  The  consequence  was,  that  four  of  the  cows 
were  strewed  out  along  the  path,  and  rewarded  us  for  our  hard 
gallop.  The  rest,  on  account  of  saving  our  horses,  were  suffered 
to  make  their  escape. 

As  we  had  now  plenty  of  excellent  meat,  it  was  resolved  to 
encamp  again,  and  remain  for  some  time  on  that  spot,  until  we 
had  rested  our  horses  after  their  long  journey,  when  we  should 
make  a  fresh  search  for  the  buffalo,  and  have  another  "run"  or 
two  out  of  them. 


UNEXPECTED    GUESTS.  331 


CHAPTER  XXXY. 

UNEXPECTED     GUESTS. 

WE  found  Ike  and  Redwood  bitterly  angry  at  the  bull  they 
had  slain.  Xhey  alleged  that  he  had  made  a  rush  at  them  in 
coming  up,  and  that  was  why  they  had  risen  to  their  feet  and 
fired  upon  him.  We  thought  such  had  been  the  case,  as  we  had 
noticed  a  strange  manoeuvre  on  the  part  of  the  bull.  But  for 
that,  our  guides  believed  they  would  have  succeeded  to  their 
hearts'  content ;  as  they  intended  first  to  have  shot  the  other 
bull,  and  then  the  cows  would  have  remained  until  all  had 
fallen. 

A  place  was  now  selected  for  our  night-camp,  and  the  meat 
from  the  cows  brought  in  and  dressed.  Over  a  fire  of  cotton- 
wood  logs  we  soon  cooked  the  most  splendid  supper  we  had 
eaten  for  a  long  time. 

The  beef  of  the  wild  buffalo-cow  is  far  superior  to  that  of 
domestic  cattle,  but  the  "  tit-bits "  of  the  same  animal  are 
luxuries  never  to  be  forgotten.  Whether  it  be  that  a  prairie 
appetite  lends  something  to  the  relish  is  a  question.  This  I  will 
not  venture  to  deny  ;  but  certainly  the  "baron  of  beef"  in  merry 
old  England  has  no  souvenirs  to  me  so  sweet  as  a  roast  rib  of 


"fat  cow,"  cooked  over  a  cotton-wood  fire,  and  eaten  in  the 
open  air,  under  the  pure  sky  of  the  prairies. 

The  place  where  we  had  pitched  our  camp  was  upon  the  banks 
of  a  very  small  spring-stream,  or  creek,  that,  rising  near  at  hand, 
meandered  through  the  prairie  to  a  not  distant  branch  of  the 
Arkansas  River.  Where  we  were,  this  creek  was  embanked 
very  slightly  ;  but,  at  about  two  hundred  yards'  distance,  on 
each  side,  there  was  a  range  of  bluffs  that  followed  the  direction 
of  the  stream.  These  bluffs  were  not  very  high,  but  sufficiently 
so  to  prevent  any  one  down  in  the  creek  bottom  from  having  a 
view  of  the  prairie  level.  As  the  bottom  itself  was  covered  with 
very  coarse  herbage,  and  as  a  better  grass — the  buffalo — grew 
on  the  prairie  above,  we  there  picketed  our  horses,  intending  to 
bring  them  closer  to  the  •amp  when  night  set  in,  or  before  going 
to  sleep.  The  camp  itself — that  is  the  two  tents,  with  Jake's 
waggon — were  on  the  very  edge  of  the  stream  ;  but  Jake's  mules 
were  up  on  the  plain,  along  with  the  rest  of  the  cavallada. 

It  was  still  two  hours  before  sunset.  We  had  made  our 
dinner,  and,  satisfied  with  the  day's  sport,  were  enjoying  our 
selves  with  a  little  brandy,  that  still  held  out  in  our  good-sized 
keg,  and  a  smoke.  We  had  reviewed  the  incidents  of  the  day, 
and  were  laying  out  our  plans  for  the  morrow.  We  were 
admonished  by  the  coldness  of  the  evening  that  winter  was  not 
far  off,  and  we  all  agreed  that  another  week  was  as  long  as  we 
could  safely  remain  upon  the  prairies.  We  had  started  late  in 
the  season,  but  our  not  finding  the  buffalo  farther  to  the  east 
had  made  a  great  inroad  upon  our  time,  and  spoiled  all  our 
calculations.  Now  that  we  had  found  them,  a  week  was  as 


UNEXPECTED   GUESTS.  333 

rauen  as  we  could  allow  for  their  hunt.  Already  frost  appeared 
in  the  night  hours,  and  made  us  uncomfortable  enough,  and  we 
knew  that  in  the  prairie  region  the  transition  from  autumn  to 
winter  is  often  sudden  and  unexpected. 

The  oldest  and  wisest  of  the  party  were  of  the  opinion  that  we 
should  not  delay  our  return  longer  than  a  week,  and  the  others 
Assented  to  it.  The  guides  gave  the  same  advice,  although  these 
cared  little  about  wintering  on  the  prairie,  and  were  willing  to 
remain  as  long  as  we  pleased.  We  knew,  however,  that  the 
hardships  to  which  we  should  be  subjected  would  not  be  relished 
by  several  of  tho  party,  and  it  would  be  better  for  all  to 
get  back  to  &»  settlements  before  the  setting  in  of  severe 
weather. 

I  have  said  ve  were  all  in  high  spirits.  A  week's  hunting, 
with  something  to  do  at  it  every  day,  would  satisfy  us.  We 
should  do  immense  slaughter  on  the  buffalo,  by  approaching, 
running,  and  surrounding  them.  We  should  collect  a  quantity 
of  the  best  meat,  jerk  and  dry  it  over  the  fire,  load  our  waggon 
with  that,  and  with  a  large  number  of  robes  and  horns  as 
trophies,  should  go  back  in  triumph  to  the  settlements.  Such 
were  our  pleasant  anticipations. 

I  am  sorry  to  say  that  these  anticipations  were  never  realised 
--not  one  of  them.  When  we  reached  the  nearest  settlement, 
which  happened  about  six  weeks  after,  our  party  presented  an 
appearance  that  differed  as  much  from  a  triumphal  procession  as 
could  well  be  imagined.  One  and  all  of  us  were  afoot.  One 
and  all  of  us — even  to  the  fat  little  doctor — were  emaciated, 
ragged,  foot-sore,  frost-bitten,  and  little  better  than  half  alive. 


334  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

We  had  a  number  of  buffalo-skins  with  us  it  is  true,  but  these 
hung  about  our  shoulders,  and  were  for  use,  and  not  show. 
They  had  served  us  for  weeks  for  beds  and  blankets  by 
night,  and  for  great  coats  under  the  fierce  winter  rains.  But 
I  anticipate.  Let  us  return  to  our  camp  on  the  little  creek. 

I  have  said  that  we  sat  around  the  blazing  fire  discussing  our 
future  plans,  and  enjoying  the  future  by  anticipation.  The 
hours  passed  rapidly  oil,  and  while  thus  engaged  night  came 
down  upon  us. 

At  this  time  some  one  advised  that  we  should  bring  up  the 
horses,  but  another  said  it  would  be  as  well  to  let  them  browse 
a  while  longer,  as  the  grass  where  they  were  was  good,  and  they 
had  been  for  some  days  on  short  commons.  "They  will  be  safe 
enough,"  said  this  speaker.  "We  have  seen  no  Indian  sign,  or 
if  any  of  you  think  there  is  danger,  let  some  one  go  up  to  the 
bluff,  but  by  all  means  let  the  poor  brutes  have  a  good  meal 
of  it." 

This  proposal  was  accepted.  Lanty  was  despatched  to  stand 
guard  over  the  horses,  while  the  rest  of  us  remained  by  the  fire 
conversing  as  before. 

The  Irishman  could  scarcely  have  had  time  to  get  among  the 
animals,  when  our  ears  were  saluted  by  a  medley  of  sounds  that 
sent  the  blood  to  our  hearts,  and  caused  us  to  leap  simultane 
ously  from  the  fire. 

The  yells  of  Indians  were  easily  understood,  even  by  the 
"greenest"  of  our  party,  and  these,  mingled  with  the  neighing 
of  horses,  the  prancing  of  hoofs,  and  the  shouts  of  our  guard, 
were  the  sounds  that  reached  us. 


UNEXPECTED   GUESTS.  335 

"  Injuns,  by  G — d  !"  cried  Ike,  springing  up,  and  clutching 
his  long  rifle. 

This  wild  exclamation  was  echoed  by  more  than  one,  as  each 
leaped  back  from  the  fire  and  ran  to  his  gun. 

In  a  few  seconds  we  had  cleared  the  brushwood  that  thickly 
covered  the  bottom,  and  climbed  out  on  the  bluff.  Here  we 
were  met  by  the  terrified  guard,  who  was  running  back 
at  the  top  of  his  speed,  and  bellowing  at  the  top  of  his 
voice. 

"  Och,  murther  !"  cried  he,  "the  savage  bastes — there's  a 
thousand  ov  thim  1  They've  carried  off  the  cattle — every  leg — 
mules  an'  all,  by  Jaysus  !" 

Rough  as  was  this  announcement,  we  soon  became  satisfied 
that  it  was  but  too  true.  On  reaching  the  place  where  the 
cavallada  had  been  picketed,  we  found  not  the  semblance  of  a 
horse.  Even  the  pins  were  drawn,  and  the  lazoes  taken  along. 
Far  off  on  the  prairie  we  could  discern  dimly  a  dark  mass  of 
mounted  men,  and  we  could  plainly  hear  their  triumphant  shouts 
and  laughter,  as  they  disappeared  in  the  distance  1 

We  never  saw  either  them  or  our  horses  again. 

They  were  a  party  of  Pawnees,  as  we  afterwards  learned,  and 
no  doubt  had  they  attacked  us,  we  should  have  suffered  severely  ; 
but  there  were  only  a  few  of  them,  and  they  were  satisfied  with 
plundering  us  of  our  horses.  It  ia  just  possible  that  after 
securing  them  they  might  have  returned  to  attack  us,  had  not 
Lanty  surprised  them  at  their  work.  After  the  alarm  they 
knew  we  would  be  on  the  look-out  for  them,  and  therefore  were 
contented  to  carry  off  our  animals. 


336  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

It  is  difficult  to  explain  the  change  that  thus  so  suddenly 
occurred  in  our  feelings  and  circumstances.  The  prospect  before 
us — thus  set  afoot  upon  the  prairie  at  such  a  distance  from  the 
settlements,  and  at  such  a  season — was  perfectly  appalling.  We 
should  have  to  walk  every  inch  of  the  way — carry  our  food,  and 
everything  else,  upon  our  backs.  Perhaps  we  might  not  be  too 
much  burdened  with  food.  That  depended  upon  very  precarious 
circumstances — upon  our  hunting  luck.  Our  "  stock  "  in  the 
waggon  was  reduced  to  only  a  few  days'  rations,  and  of  course 
would  go  but  a  few  days  with  us,  while  we  had  many  to  provide 
for. 

These  thoughts  were  after-reflections — thoughts  of  the  next 
morning.  During  that  night  we  thought  only  of  the  Indians, 
for  of  course  we  did  not  as  yet  believe  they  had  left  us  for  good. 
We  did  not  return  to  sleep  by  the  fire — that  would  have  been . 
very  foolishness.  Some  went  back  to  get  their  arms  in  order, 
and  then  returning  we  all  lay  along  the  edge  of  the  bluff,  where 
the  path  led  into  the  bottom,  and  watched  the  prairie  until  the 
morning.  We  lay  in  silence,  or  only  muttering  our  thoughts  to 
one  another. 

I  have  said  until  the  morning.  This  is  not  strictly  true,  for 
before  the  morning  that  succeeded  that  noche  triste  broke  upon 
us,  another  cruel  misfortune  befel  us,  which  still  farther  narrowed 
the  circumstances  that  surrounded  us.  I  have  already  stated 
that  the  herbage  of  the  creek  bottom  was  coarse.  It  consisted 
of  long  grass,  interspersed  with  briars  and  bunches  of  wild  pea 
vines,  wiih  here  and  there  a  growth  of  scrubby  wood.  It  was 
difficult  to  get  through  it,  except  by  paths  made  by  the  buffalo 


UNEXPECTED   GUESTS.  331 

and  other  animals.  At  this' season  of  the  year  the  thick  growth 
of  annuals  was  now  a  mass  of  withered  stems,  parched  by  the 
hot  suns  of  autumn  until  they  were  as  dry  as  tinder. 

While  engaged  in  our  anxious  vigil  upon  the  plain  above, 
we  had  not  given  a  thought  either  to  our  camp  or  the  large  fire 
we  had  left  there. 

All  at  once  our  attention  was  directed  to  the  latter  by  a 
loud  crackling  noise  that  sounded  in  our  ears.  We  sprang  to 
our  feet,  and  looked  into  the  valley  behind  us.  The  camp  was 
on  fire. 

The  brush  was  kindled  all  around  it,  and  blazed  to  the  height 
of  several  feet.  We  could  see  the  blaze  reflected  from  the  white 
canvas  both  of  wagon  and  tents,  and  in  a  few  seconds  these 
were  licked  into  the  hot  flames,  and  disappeared  from  our  view. 

Of  course  we  made  no  effort  to  save  them.  That  would  have 
been  an  idle  and  foolish  attempt.  We  could  not  have  approached 
the  spot,  without  the  almost  certain  danger  of  death.  Already 
while  we  gazed,  the  fire  spread  over  the  whole  creek  bottom, 
and  passed  rapidly  both  up  and  down  the  banks  of  the 
stream. 

For  ourselves  there  was  no  danger.  We  were  up  on  the  open 
prairie  covered  only  with  short  grass.  Had  this  caught  also, 
we  knew  how  to  save  ourselves  ;  but  the  upper  level,  separated 
by  a  steep  bluff,  was  not  reached  by  the  conflagration  that  raged 
so  fiercely  below. 

We  stood  watching  the  flames  for  a  long  while,  until  daylight 
broke.  The  bottom,  near  where  we  were,  had  ceased  to  burn, 
and  now  lay  beneath  us,  smoking,  smouldering,  and  black.  "We 

15 


33S  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

descended,  and  picked  our  steps  to  where  our  camp  had  stood. 
The  tents  were  like  black  cerements.  The  iron  work  of  the 
wagon  alone  remained,  our  extra  clothing  and  provisions  were 
all  consumed.  Even  the  produce  of  our  yesterday's  hunt  lay 
among  the  ashes  a  charred  and  ruined  mass  1 


A    SUPPER    OF    WOLF-MUTTON.  339 


CHAPTER  XXXVI. 

A    SUPPER    OF   WOLF-MUTTON. 

OUR  condition  was  now  lamentable  indeed.  We  even  hungered 
for  our  breakfast,  and  nothing  to  eat.  The  fire  had  consumed 
everything.  A  party  went  to  look  for  the  remains  of  the  buffalo- 
bull  killed  by  the  guides,  but  returned  without  a  morsel  of  meat. 
The  wolves  had  cleaned  the  carcass  to  a  skeleton.  The  mar 
row-bones,  however,  still  remained,  and  these  were  brought  in — 
afterwards,  the  same  parts  of  the  four  cows ;  and  we  made  our 
breakfast  on  marrow — eating  it  raw — not  but  that  we  had  fire 
enough,  but  it  is  less  palatable  when  cooked. 

What  was  next  to  be  done  ?  We  held  a  consultation,  and  of 
course  came  to  the  resolve  to  strike  for  the  first  settlement — 
that  was  the  frontier  town  of  Independence  on  the  Missouri 
River.  It  was  nearly  three  hundred  miles  off,  and  we  calculated 
on  reaching  it  in  about  twenty  days.  We  only  reckoned  the 
miles  we  had  to  traverse.  We  allowed  nothing  for  the  numer 
ous  delays,  caused  by  marshes  and  the  fording  of  flooded 
streams.  It  afterwards  turned  out  that  our  calculations  were 
incorrect.  It  was  nearly  twice  twenty  days  before  we  arrived  at 
Independence. 

We  never  thought  of  following  the  trail  of  the  Indians  to 


340  THE   HUNTERS'    tfEAS*. 

recover  our  horses.  We  knew  they  were  gone  far  beyond  pur 
suit,  but  even  could  we  have  coine  up  with  them,  it  would 
only  have  been  to  imperil  our  lives  in  an  unequal  strife.  We 
gave  up  our  horses  as  lost,  and  only  deliberated  on  how  we  were 
to  undertake  the  journey  a  foot. 

Here  a  serious  question  arose.  Should  we  at  once  turn  our 
faces  towards  the  settlement,  how  were  we  to  subsist  on  the 
way?  *By  heading  for  Independence  we  should  at  once  get  clft^tr 
of  the  buffalo  range,  and  what  other  game  was  to  be  depended 
on  ?  A  stray  deer,  rabbit,  or  prairie  grouse  might  suffice  to  sus 
tain  a  single  traveller  for  a  long  time,  but  there  were  ten  of  us. 
How  was  this  number  to  be  fed  on  the  way  ?  Even  with  our 
horses  to  carry  us  in  pursuit  of  game,  we  had  not  been  able  on 
our  outward  journey  to  procure  enough  for  all.  How  much  less 
our  oppportunity  now  that  we  were  afoot  ! 

To  head  directly  homeward  therefore  was  not  to  be  thought 
of.  We  should  assuredly  perish  by  the  way. 

After  much  discussion  it  was  agreed  that  we  should  remain 
for  some  days  within  the  buffalo  range,  until  we  had  succeeded 
in  procuring  a  supply  of  meat,  and  then,  each  carrying  his  share, 
we  should  begin  our  jonrney  homeward.  In  fact,  this  was  not  a 
disputed  point.  All  knew  there  remained  no  other  way  of  saving 
our  lives.  The  only  difference  of  opinion  was  as  to  the  direction 
we  should  ramble  in  search  of  the  buffalo  ;  for  although  we; 
knew  that  we  were  on  the  outskirts  of  a  great  herd,  we  were 
not  certain  as  to  its  whereabouts,  and  by  taking  a  false  direction 
we  might  get  out  of  its  range  altogether. 

It  so  happened,  however,  that  fortune  lately  so  adverse,  now 


A    SUPPER   OF    WOLF-MUTTON.  341 

took  a  turn  in  our  favour,  and  the  great  buffalo  drove  was  found 
without  much  trouble  on  our  part.  Indeed  almost  without  any 
exertion,  farther  than  that  of  loading  and  firing  our  guns,  we 
same  into  possession  of  beef  enough  to  have  victualled  an  army. 
We  had,  moreover,  the  excitement  of  a  grand  hunt,  although  we 
no  longer  hunted  for  the  sport  of  the  thing. 

During  that  day  we  scattered  in  various  directions  over  the 
prairie,  agreeing  to  meet  again  at  night.  '  The  object  of  our  thus 
separating  was  to  enable  us  to  cover  a  greater  extent  of  ground, 
and  afford  a  better  chance  of  game.  To  our  mutual  chagrin  we 
met  at  the  appointed  rendezvous  all  of  us  elnpty-handed.  The 
only  game  brought  in  was  a  couple  of  marmots  (prairie  dogs), 
that  would  not  have  been  sufficient  for  the  supper  of  a  cat. 
They  were  not  enough  to  give  each  of  the  party  a  taste,  so  we 
were  compelled  to  go  without  supper.  Having  had  but  a 
meagre  breakfast  and  no  dinner,  it  will  not  be  wondered  at  that 
we  were  by  this  time  hungry  as  wolves  ;  and  we  began  to  dread 
that  death  by  starvation  was  nearer  than  we  thought  of.  Buffa 
loes — several  small  gangs  of  them — had  been  seen  during  the 
day,  but  so  shy  that  none  of  them  could  be  approached. 
Another  day's  failure  would  place  our  lives  in  a  perilous  situa 
tion  indeed ;  and  as  these  thoughts  passed  through  our  minds, 
we  gazed  on  each  other  with  looks  that  betokened  apprehension 
and  alarm.  The  bright  blaze  of  the  camp-fire — for  the  cold  had 
compelled  us  to  kindle  one — no  longer  lit  up  a  round  of  joyful 
faces.  It  shone  upon  cheeks  haggard  with  hunger  and  pallid 
with  fear.  There  was  no  story  for  the  delighted  listener — na 
adventure  to  be  related.  We  were  no  longer  the  historians,  but 


342  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

the  real  actors  in  a  drama — a  drama  whose  denouement  might  be 
a  fearful  one. 

As  we  sat  gazing  at  each  other,  in  hopes  of  giving  or  receiving 
some  morsel  of  comfort  and  encouragement,  we  noticed  old  Ike 
silently  glide  from  his  place  by  the  fire,  and  after  a  whisper  to 
us  to  remain  silent,  crawl  off  on  his  hands  and  knees.  He  had 
seen  something  doubtless,  and  hence  his  singular  conduct.  In  a 
few  minutes  his  prostrate  form  was  lost  in  the  darkness,  and  for 
some  time  we  saw  or  heard  no  more  of  him.  At  length  we  were 
startled  by  the  whip-like  crack  of  the  guide's  rifle,  and  fancying 
it  might  be  Indians,  each  sprang  up  in  some  alarm  and  seized 
his  gun.  We  were  soon  reassured,  however,  by  seeing  the 
upright  form  of  the  trapper  as  he  walked  deliberately  back 
towards  the  campfire,  and  the  blaze  revealed  to  us  a  large 
whitish  object  dangling  by  his  side  and  partly  dragging  along 
the  ground. 

"Hurrah  1"  cried  one,  "Ike  has  killed  game." 

"  A  deer — an  antelope,"  suggested  several. 

"No — o,"  drawled  Redwood.  "'Taint  eyther,  but  I  guess 
we  won't  quarrel  with  the  meat.  I  could  eat  a  raw  jackass  jest 
about  now." 

Ike  came  up  at  this  moment,  and  we  saw  that  his  game  was 
no  other  thau  a  prairie  wolf.  Better  that  than  hunger,  thought 
all  of  us  ;  and  in  a  brace  of  seconds  the  wolf  was  suspended 
over  the  fire,  and  roasting  in  the  hide. 

We  were  now  more  cheerful,  and  the  anticipation  of  such  an 
odd  viand  for  supper,  drew  jokes  from  several  of  the  party.  To 
the  trappers  such  a  dish  was  nothing  new,  although  they  were 


A    SUPPER    OP    WOLF-MUTTON.  343 

the  only  persons  of  the  party  who  had  partaken  of  it.  But  there 
was  not  ono  fastidious  palate  present,  and  when  the  "wolf- 
mutton  "  was  broiled,  each  cleaned  his  joint  or  his  rib  with  as 
much  gout  as  if  he  had  been  picking  the  bones  of  a  pheasant. 

Before  the  supper  was  ended  the  wolf-killer  made  a  second 
coup,  killing  another  wolf  precisely  as  he  had  done  the  former  ; 
and  we  had  the  gratification  of  knowing  that  our  breakfast  was 
now  provided  for.  These  creatures,  that  all  along  our  journey 
had  received  nothing  from  us  but  anathemas,  were  now  likely  to 
come  in  for  a  share  of  our  blessings,  and  we  could  not  help 
feeling  a  species  of  gratitude"  towards  them,  although  at  the 
same  time  we  thus  killed  and  ate  them. 

The  supper  of  roast  wolf  produced  an  agreeable  change  in  our 
feelings,  and  we  even  listened  with  interest  to  our  guides,  who, 
appropriate  to  the  occasion,  related  some  curious  incidents  of  the 
many  narrow  escapes  they  had  had  from  starvation. 

One  in  particular  fixed  our  attention,  as  it  afforded  an  illustra 
tion  of  trapper  life  under  peculiar  circumstances. 


344  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 


CHAPTER   XXXYIL 

HARE   HUNTING   AND   CRICKET   DRIVING. 

THE  two  trappers,  in  company  with  two  others  of  the  same 
calling,  were  on  £  trapping  expedition  to  one  of  the  tributaries 
of  the  great  Bear  River,  west  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  when 
they  were  attacked  by  a  band  of  hostile  Utahs,  and  robbed,  not 
only  of  the  produce  of  their  hunt,  but  their  horses  and  pack- 
mules  were  taken  from  them,  and  even  their  arms  and  ammuni 
tion.  The  Indians  could  have  taken  their  lives  as  well,  but 
from  the  interference  of  one  of  the  chiefs,  who  knew  old  Ike, 
they  were  allowed  to  go  free,  although  in  the  midst  of  the  desert 
region  where  they  were,  that  was  no  great  favour.  They  were 
as  likely  as  not  to  perish  from  hunger  before  they  could  reach 
any  settlement — as  at  that  time  there  was  none  nearer  than 
Fort  Hall  upon  the  Snake  River,  a  distance  of  full  three  hun 
dred  miles.  Our  four  trappers,  however,  were  not  the  men  to 
yield  themselves  up  to  despair,  even  in  the  midst  of  a  desert  ; 
and  they  at  once  set  about  making  the  most  of  their  circum 
stances. 

There  were  deer  upon  the  stream  where  they  had  been 
trapping,  and  bear  also,  as  well  as  other  game,  but  what  did 
that  signify,  now  that  they  had  no  arms  ?  Of  course,  the  deer 


HARE   HUNTING  AND    CRICKET   DRIVING.  845 

or  antelopes  sprang  out  of  the  shrubbery,  or  scoured  across  the 
plain,  only  to  tantalize  them. 

Near  where  they  had  been  left  by  the  .Indians,*  was  a  "  sage 
prairie,"  that  is,  a  plain  covered  with  a  growth  of  the  artemisia 
plant — the  leaves  and  berries  of  which — bitter  as  they  are — 
form  the  food  of  a  species  of  hare,  known  among  the  trappers  as 
the  "  sage  rabit."  This  creature  is  as  swift  as  most  of  its  tribe, 
but  although  our  trappers  had  neither  dog  nor  gun,  they  found 
a  way  of  capturing  the  sage  rabbits.  Not  by  snaring  neither, 
for  they  were  even  without  materials  to  make  snares  out  of. 
Their  mode  of  securing  the  game  was  as  follows  : 

They  had  the  patience  to  construct  a  circular  fence,  by 
wattling  the  sage  plants  together,  and  then  leaving  one  side 
open,  they  made  a  "surround"  upon  the  plain,  beating  the 
bushes  as  they  went,  until  a  number  of  rabbits  were  driven 
within  the  inclosure.  The  remaining  part  of  the  fence  was  then 
completed,  and  the  rabbit  hunters  going  inside,  chased  the  game 
about  until  they  had  caught  all  that  were  inside.  Although 
the  fence  was  but  about  three  feet  in  height,  the  rabbits  never 
attempted  to  leap  over,  but  rushed  head  foremost  against  the 
wattles,  and  were  either  caught  or  knocked  over  with  sticks. 

This  piece  of  ingenuity  was  not  original  with  the  trappers,  as 
Ike  and  Redwood  admitted.  It  is  the  mode  of  rabbit  hunting 
practised  by  some  tribes  of  western  Indians,  as  the  poor  Shosho- 
nees  and  miserable  "  diggers,"  whose  whole  lives  are  spent  in  a 
constant  struggle  to  procure  food  enough  to  sustain  them. 
These  Indians  capture  the  small  animals  that  inhabit  their 
barren  country  by  ways  that  more  resemble  the  instinct  of 

15* 


316  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST.   . 

beasts  of  prey  than  any  reasoning  process.  In  fact,  there  are 
bands  of  these  Indians  who  can  hardly  be  said  to  have  yet 
reached  the"  hunter  state.  Some  of  them  carry  as  their  sole 
•armour  a  long  stick  with  a  hooked  end,  the  object  of  which  is  to 
drag  the  agama  and  the  lizard  out  of  its  cave  or  cleft  among 
the  rocks  ;  and  this  species  of  game  is  transferred  from  the  end 
of  the  stick  to  the  stomach  of  the  captor  with  the  same  despatch 
as  a  hungry  mastiff  would  devour  a  mouse. 

Impounding  the  sage  hare  is  one  of  the  master-strokes  of 
their  hunter-craft,  and  forms  a  source  of  employment  to  them 
for  a  considerable  portion  of  the  year. 

Our  four  trappers,  then,  remembering  the  Indian  mode  of 
capturing  these  creatures,  put  it  in  execution  to  some  advan 
tage,  and  were  soon  able  to  satisfy  their  hunger.  After  two  or 
three  days  spent  in  this  pursuit,  they  had  caught  more  than 
twenty  hares,  but  the  stock  ran  out,  and  no  more  could  be 
found  in  that  neighborhood. 

Of  course  only  a  few  were  required  for  present  use,  and  the 
rest  were  dried  over  a  sage  fire  until  they  were  in  a  condition  to 
keep  for  some  days. 

Packing  them  on  their  backs,  the  trappers  set  out,  heading 
for  the  Snake  River.  Before  they  could  reach  Fort  Hall,  their 
rabbit  meat  was  exhausted,  and  they  were  as  badly  off  as 
before.  The  country  in  which  they  now  found  themselves  was 
if  possible  more  of  a  desert  than  that  they  had  just  quitted. 
Even  rabbits  could  not  dwell  in  it,  or  the  few  that  were  started 
could  not  be  caught.  The  artemisia  was  not  in  sufficient  plenty 
to  make  an  inclosure  with,  and  it  would  have  been  hopeless  to 


HARE    HUNTING   AND    CRICKET   DRIVING.  34t 

have  attempted  such  a  thing  ;  as  they  might  have  spent  days 
without  trapping  a  single  hare.  Now  and  again  they  were  tan 
talised  by  seeing  the  great  sage  cock,  or,  as  naturalists  call  it, 
"  cock  of  the  plains  "  (  Tetrao  urophasianus),  but  they  could  only 
hear  the  loud  "  burr  "  of  its  wings,  and  watch  it  sail  off  to  some 
distant  point  of  the  desert  plain.  This  bird  is  the  largest  of  the 
grouse  kind,  though  it  is  neither  a  bird  of  handsome  plumage, 
nor  yet  is  it  delicate  in  its  flesh.  On  the  contrary,  the  flesh, 
from  the  nature  of  its  food,  which  is  the  berry  of  the  wild  worm 
wood,  is  both  unsavoury  and  bitter.  It  would  not  have  deterred 
the  appetites  of  our  four  trappers,  could  they  have  laid  their 
hands  upon  the  bird,  but  without  guns  such  a  thing  was  out  of 
the  question.  For  several  days  they  sustained  themselves  on 
roots  and  berries.  Fortunately  it  was  the  season  when  these 
are  ripe,  and  they  found  here  and  there  the  prairie  turnip 
(Psoraka  esculenta),  and  in  a  marsh  which  they  had  to  cross 
they  obtained  a  quantity  of  the  celebrated  Kamas  roots. 

All  these  supplies,  however,  did  not  prove  sufficient.  They 
had  still  four  or  five  days'  farther  journey,  and  were  beginning 
to  fear  they  would  not  get  through  it,  for  the  country  to  be 
passed  was  a  perfect  barren  waste.  At  this  crisis,  however,  a 
new  scource  of  subsistence  appeared  to  them,  and  in  sufficient 
plenty  to  enable  them  to  continue  their  journey  without  fear  of 
want.  As  if  by  magic,  the  plain  upon  which  they  were  tra 
velling  all  at  once  became  covered  with  large  crawling  insects  of 
a  dark  brown  colour.  These  were  insects  known  among  the 
trappers  as  "prairie  crickets,"  but  from  the  description  given 
of  thsm  by  the  trappers  the  hunter-naturalist  pronounced  them 


348  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

to  be  "locusts."  They  were  of  that  species  known  in  America 
as  the  "seventeen  years'  locust"  (Cicada  septemdecem) ,  so  called 
because  there  is  a  popular  belief  that  they  only  appear  in  great 
swarms  every  seventeen  years.  It  is  probable,  however,  that 
this  periodical  appearance  is  an  error,  and  that  their  coming  at 
longer  or  shorter  intervals  depends  upon  the  heat  of  the  climate, 
and  many  other  circumstances. 

They  have  been  known  to  arrive  in  a  great  city,  coming  not 
from  afar,  but  out  of  the  ground  from  between  the  bricks  of 
the  pavement  and  out  of  the  crevices  in  the  walls,  suddenly 
covering  the  streets  with  their  multitudes.  But  this  species 
does  not  destroy  vegetation,  as  is  the  case  with  others  of  the 
locust  tribe.  They  themselves  form  the  favourite  food  of  many 
birds,  as  well  as  quadrupeds.  Hogs  eagerly  feed  upon  and 
destroy  vast  numbers  of  them  ;  and  even  the  squirrels  devour 
them  with  as  great  a  relish  as  they  do  nuts.  These  facts  were 
furnished  by  the  hunter-naturalist,  but  our  trappers  had  an 
equally  interesting  tale  to  tell. 

As  soon  as  they  set  eyes  upon  the  locusts  and  saw  that  they 
were  crawling  thickly  upon  the  plain,  they  felt  that  they  were 
safe.  They  knew  that  these  insects  were  a  staple  article  of  food 
among  the  same  tribes  of  Indians  who  hunt  the  sage  hare. 
They  knew,  moreover,  their  mode  of  capturing  them,  and  they 
at  once  set  about  making  a  large  collection. 

This  was  done  by  hollowing  out  a  circular  pit  in  the  sandy 
earth,  and  then  the  four  separating  some  distance  from  each 
other,  drove  the  crickets  towards  a  common  centre — the  p;i. 
After  some  manoeuvring,  a  large  quantity  was  brought  together, 


HARE   HUNTING   AND    CRICKET   DRIVING.  349 

and  these  being  pressed  upon  all  sides,  crawled  up  to  the  edge 
of  the  pit,  and  were  precipitated  into  its  bottom.  Of  course 
the  hole  had  been  made  deep  enough  to  prevent  them  getting 
out  until  they  were  secured  by  the  hunters. 

At  each  drive  nearly  half  a  bushel  was  obtained,  and  then  a 
fresh  pit  was  made  in  another  part  of  the  plain,  and  more  driven 
in,  until,  our  four  trappers  had  as  many  as  they  wanted. 

The  crickets  were  next  killed,  and  slightly  parched  upon  hot 
stones,  until  they  were  dry  enough  to  keep  and  carry.  The 
Indians  usually  pound  them,  and  mixing  them  with  the  seeds  of 
a  species  of  gramma  grass,"  which  grows  abundantly  in  that 
country,  form  them  into  a  sort  of  bread,  known  among  the 
trappers  as  "  cricket-cake."  These  seeds,  however,  our  trappers 
could  not  procure,  so  they  were  compelled  to  eat  the  parched 
crickets  "  pure  and  unmixed  j"  but  this,  in  the  condition  in  which 
they  then  were,  was  found  to  be  no  hardship. 

In  fine,  having  made  a  bundle  for  each,  they  once  more  took 
the  route,  and  after  many  hardships,  and  suffering  much  from 
thirst,  they  reached  the  remote  settlement  of  Fort  Hall,  where, 
being  known,  they  were  of  course  relieved,  and  fitted  out  for  a 
fresh  trapping  expedition. 

Ike  and  Redwood  both  declared  that  they  afterwards  had 
their  revenge  upon  the  Utahs,  for  the  scurvy  treatment  they  had 
suffered,  but  what  was  the  precise  character  of  that  revenge 
they  declined  stating.  Both  loudly  swore  that  the  Pawnees 
had  better  look  out  for  the  future,  for  they  were  not  the  men  to 
be  "  set  afoot  on  the  parairy  for  nuthin." 

After  listening  to  the  relations  of  our  guides,  a  night-guard 


350  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

was  appointed,  and  the  rest  of  us,  huddling  around  the  camp* 
fire,  were  soon  as  sound  asleep  as  though  we  were  reposing 
under  damask  curtains,  on  beds  of  down  ;  so  true  is  it,  that 
man  is  a  creature  of  habit,  and  that  inclination  having  led  us 
to  adopt  for  the  time  a  wandering  life,  we  now  felt  no  inconve 
nience  from  a  deprivation  of  those  luxuries,  and  comforts  to 
which  we  had  hitherto  been  accustomed 


A   GRAND   BATTUE.  351 


CHAPTER  XXXVIIL 

A   GRAND   BATTUE. 

THE  spot  we  had  chosen  for  our  camp  was  near  the  edge  of.  a 
small  rivulet  with  low  banks.  In  fact,  the  surface  of  the  water 
was  nearly  on  a  level  with  tfrat  of  the  prairie.  There  was  no 
wood,  with  the  exception  of  a  few  straggling  cotton-woods,  and 
some  of  the  long-leafed  willows,  peculiar  to  the  prairie  streams. 

Out  of  the  cotton- woods  we  had  made  our  camp-fire,  and  this 
was  some  twenty  or  thirty  paces  back  from  the  water,  not  in  a 
conspicuous  position,  but  in  the  bottom  of  a  bowl-shaped  depres 
sion  in  the  prairie  ;  a  curious  formation,  for  which  none  of  us 
could  account.  It  looked  as  if  fashioned  by  art,  as  its  form  was 
circular,  and  its  sides  sloped  regularly  downward  to  the  centre, 
like  the  crater  of  a  volcano.  But  for  its  size,  we  might  have 
taken  it  for  a  buffalo  wallow,  but  it  was  of  vastly  larger 
diameter  than  one  of  these,  and  altogether  deeper  and  more 
funnel-shaped. 

We  had  noticed  several  other  basins  of  the  same  sort  near  the 
place,  and  had  our  circumstances  been  different,  we  should  have 
been  interested  in  endeavouring  to  account  for  their  existence. 
As  it  was,  we  did  not  trouble  ourselves  much  abont  the  geology 
of  the  neighbourhood  we  were  in.  We  were  only  too  anxious 


352  THE  HUNTERS'  FEA.ST 

to  get  out  of  it ;  but  seeing  that  this  singular  hole  would  be  a 
safe  place  for  our  camp-fire — for  our  thoughts  still  dwelt  upon 
the  rascally  Pawnees — we  had  kindled  it  there.  Reclined 
against  the  sloping  sides  of  the  basin,  with  our  feet  resting  upon 
its  oottom,  our  party  disposed  themselves,  and  in  this  position 
went  to  sleep. 

One  was  to  be  awake  all  night  as  guard  ;  though,  of  course, 
all  took  turns,  each  awaking  the  sentinel  whose  watch  was  to 
follow  his. 

To  the  doctor  was  assigned  the  first  two  hours,  and  as  we 
went  to  sleep,  we  could  perceive  his  plump  rounded  form  seated 
upon  the  outer  rim  of  the  circular  bank  above  us.  None  of  us 
had  any  great  faith  in  the  doctor  as  a  guard,  but  his  watch  was 
during  the  least  dangerous  time  of  night,  so  far  as  Indians  are 
concerned.  These  never  make  their  attack  until  the  hours  after 
midnight,  as  they  know  well  that  these  are  the  hours  of  soundest 
sleep.  The  horse-drive  of  the  previous  night  was  an  exception, 
but  that  had  happened  because  they  had  drawn  near  and  seen 
no  horse-guard.  It  was  a  very  unusual  case.  They  knew  that 
we  were  now  on  the  alert ;  and  if  they  had  meditated  farther 
mischief,  would  have  attempted  it  only  after  midnight  hour. 
We  had  no  apprehensions  therefore,  and  one  and  all  of  us  being 
very  much  fatigued  with  the  day's  hunting  a-foot,  slept  soundly. 
The  bank  against  which  we  rested  was  dry  and  comfortable  ; 
the  fire  warmed  us  well,  and  redoubled  our  desire  for  repose. 

It  appears  that  the  doctor  fell  asleep  on  his  post,  or  else  we 
might  all  of  us  have  been  better  prepared  for  the  invasion  that 
we  suffered  during  that  night. 


A  GRAND    BATTUE.  353 

I  was  awakened  by  loud  shouts — the  guides  were  uttering 
them.  I  sprang  to  my  feet  in  the  full  belief  that  we  were 
attacked  by  Indians,  and  at  first  thought  caught  hold  of  my 
gun.  All  my  companions  were  roused  about  the  same  time,  and, 
labouring  under  a  similar  hallucination,  went  through  a  like 
series  of  manoeuvres. 

But  when  we  looked  up,  and  beheld  the  doctor  stretched  along 
the  ridge,  and  still  snoring  soundly,  we  scarce  knew  what  to 
make  of  it. 

Ike  and  Redwood,  however,  accustomed  to  sleep  with  one 
eye  open,  had  waked  first,  and  had  already  climbed  the  ridge  ; 
and  the  double  report  of  their  guns  confirmed  our  suspicions 
that  we  were  attacked  by  Indians.  What  else  could  they  be 
firing  at  ? 

"  This  way  all  of  you".!"  cried  Redwood,  making  signs  for  us 
to  come  up  where  he  and  his  companion  already  were,  waving 
their  guns  around  their  heads,  and  acting  in  a  very  singular 
manner,  "  this  way,  bring  your  guns,  pistols,  and  all — quick 
with  you  1"  '  ; 

We  all  dashed  up  the  steep,  just  at  the  moment  that  the 
doctor  suddenly  awaking  ran  terrified  down.  As  we  pressed 
up,  we  could  hear  a  mingling  of  noises,  the  tramp  of  horsemen 
as  we  thought,  and  a  loud  bellowing,  as  if  from  a  hundred  bulls. 
The  last  sounds  could  not  well  have  been  more  like  the  bellowing 
of  bulls,  for  in  reality  it  was  such.  The  night  was  a  bright 
moonlight,  and  the  moment  we  raised  our  heads  above  the  scarp 
of  the  ridge  we  saw  at  once  the  cause  of  our  alarm.  The  plain 
around  us  was  black  with  buffaloes  1  Tens  of  thousands  must 


354  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

have  been  in  the  drove  which  was  passing  us  to  a  great  depth  on 
both  sides.  They  were  running  at  a  fast  trot — some  of  them 
even  galloping,  and  in  some  places  they  were  so  thickly  packed 
together,  that  one  would  be  seen  mounting  upon  the  hind 
quarters  of  the  other,  while  some  were  thrown  down,  and 
trampled  over  by  their  companions. 

"  Hyur,  hyur,  all  of  ye  I"  cried  Ike,  "stand  by  hyur,  or 
they'll  git  into  the  hole,  and  tramp  us  to  shucks  I" 

We  saw  at  a  glance  the  meaning  of  these  instructions.  The 
excited  animals  were  rushing  headlong,  and  nothing  seemed  to 
stay  their  course.  We  could  see  them  dashing  into  and  across 
the  little  streamlet  without  making  any  account  of  it.  Should 
they  pour  into  the  circle  in  which  we  stood,  others  would  follow, 
and  we  might  get  mingled  with  the  drove.  There  was  not  a 
spot  on  the  prairie  where  we  could  have  been  safe.  The  im 
petuous  mass  was  impelled  from  behind,  and  could  neither  halt 
nor  change  its  course.  Already  a  pair  of  bulls  had  fallen  before 
the  rifles  of  our  guides,  and  to  some  extent  prevented  the  others 
from  breaking  over  the  ring,  but  they  would  certainly  have  done 
so  had  it  not  been  for  the  shouts  and  gestures  of  tne  trappers. 
We  rushed  to  the  side  indicated,  and  each  of  us  prepared  to  fire, 
but  some  of  the  more  prudent  held  their  loads  for  awhile,  others 
pulled  trigger,  and  a  succession  of  shots  from  rifles,  double- 
barrels,  and  revolvers  soon  raised  a  pile  of  dead  buffaloes  that 
blocked  up  the  passage  of  the  rest,  as  though  it  had  been  a 
barrier  built  on  purpose. 

A  breathing  space  was  now  allowed  us,  and  each  loaded  his 
piece  as  fast  as  he  was  able.  There  was  no  time  lost  in  firing, 


A   GRAND    BATTUE.  3o5 

for  the  stream  of  living  creatures  swept  on  continuously,  and  a 
mark  was  found  in  a  single  glance  of  the  eye. 

I  think  we  must  have  continued  the  loading  and  firing  for 
-.early  a  quarter  of  an  hour.  Then  the  great  herd  began  to 
TOW  thinner  and  thinner,  until  the  last  buffalo  had  passed. 

We  looked  around  us  to  contemplate  the  result.  The  ground 
on  every  side  of  the  circle  was  covered  with  dark  hirsute  forms, 
but  upon  that  where  we  stood  a  perfect  mass  of  them  luy 
together.  These  forms  were  in  every  attitude,  some  stretched 
on  their  sides,  others  upon  their  knees,  and  still  a  number  upon 
their  feet,  but  evidently  wounded. 

Some  of  us  were  about  to  rush  out  of  our  charmed  circle  to 
complete  the  work,  but  were  held  back  by  tlje  warning  voices 
of  the  guides. 

"For  yur  'lives  don't  go,"  cried  Redwood,  "don't  stir  from 
hyur  till  we've  knocked  'em  all  over.  Thur's  some  o'  them  with 
life  enough  left  to  do  for  a  ween  o'  ye  yet." 

So  saying:,  the  trapper  raised  his  long  piece,  selected  one  of 
the  bulls  that  were  seen  on  their  feet,  and  sent  him  rolling  over. 

Another  and  another  was  disposed  of  in  the  same  way,  and 
then  those  that  were  in  a  kneeling  position  were  reconnoitred  to 
see  if  they  were  still  alive,  and  when  found  to  be  so  were 
speedily  disposed  of  by  a  bullet. 

When  all  were  laid  out  we  emerged  from  the  hole,  and 
counted  the  game.  There  were  no  less  than  twenty-five  dead 
immediately  ai^mnd  the  circle,  besides  several  wounded  that  we 
could  see  straggling  off  over  the  plain. 

We  did  not  think  of  going  to  rest  again  until  each  of  us  had 


356  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

eaten  about  two  pounds  of  fresh  buffalo-beef,  and  what  with  the 
excitement  of  this  odd  adventure,  and  the  jokes  that  followed — 
not  a  few  of  them  levelled  at  our  quondam  guard — it  was  neai 
morning  before  we  closed  our  eyes  again  in  sleep,  from  the  sound 
lepths  of  which  we  were  not  disturbed  till  the  sun  was  high 
*n  the  heavens,  and  our  wearied  bodies  had  been  fully  rested 
from  the  fatigue  and  excitement  of  the  last  night's  murderous 
onslaught. 


THE   ROUTE   HOME.  35  T 


CHAPTER    XXXIX. 

THE   ROUTE  HOME. 

WE  awoke  more  confident  of  our  future.  We  had  now  pro 
vision  enough  and  thousands  of  pounds  to  spare.  It  only 
remained  for  us  to  make  it  portable,  and  preserve  it  by  drying  ; 
and  this  would  occupy  about  three  full  days.  Our  guides  under 
stood  well  how  to  cure  meat  without  salt,  and  as  soon  as  we  had 
breakfasted  all  of  us  set  to  work.  We  had  to  pick  and  choose 
amidst  such  mountains  of  meat.  Of  course  the  fat  cows  only 
were  "  butchered."  The  bulls  were  left  where  they  had  fallen, 
to  become  the  food  of  wolves,  scores  of  which  were  now  seen 
skulking  around  the  spot. 

A  large  fire  was  kindled,  and  near  this  was  erected  a  frame 
work  of  branches,  on  which  was  laid  or  suspended  the  meat,  cut 
into  thin  slices  and  strips.  These  were  placed  at  such  a  distance 
from  the  fire  that  it  acted  upon  them  only  to  dry  'up  the  juices, 
and  in  less  than  forty-eight  hours  the  strips  became  hard  and 
stiff,  so  that  they  would  keep  for  months  without  danger  of 
spoiling.  Meanwhile  some  employed  themselves  in  dressing 
buffalo  skins,  so  as  to  render  them  light  and  portable,  in  other 
words  to  make  robes  of  them  that  would  serve  us  for  sleep 
ing  in. 

At  the  end  of  the  third  day  we  had  arranged  every  thing,  and 


S58  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST 

were  ready  to  set  forth  on  our  homeward  journey.  Each 
to  carry  his  own  rations  of  the  jerked  meat,  as  well  as  his  arms, 
robes,  and  equipments.  Of  course,  loaded  in  .this  manner,  we 
did  not  expect  to  make  a  long  daily  journey,  but,  supplied  as 
we  were  with  provisions  for  thirty  days,  we  had  no  fear  but  that 
before  the  end  of  that  time  we  should  reach  Independence.  We 
were  in  high  spirits  as  we  set  out,  although,  before  we  had 
walked  far,  the  pressure  of  our  packs  somewhat  moderated  the 
exuberance  of  our  feelings  ;  and  before  we  had  been  fifty  hours 
upon  the  road,  an  incident  occurred  that  once  more  reduced  us 
to  a  new  state  of  despondency,  and  placed  us  once  more  in  peril 
of  our  lives.  Many  an  accident  of  flood  and  field,  many  a 
"hair-breadth  'scape"  are  to  be  encountered  in  a  journey 
through  prairie-land,  and  the  most  confident  calculations  of  the 
traveller  are  often  rendered  worthless  in  a  single  moment.  So 
we  found  to  our  consternation. 

The  accident  which  befel  us  was  one  of  a  deplorable  charac 
ter.  We  had  reached  the  banks  of  a  small  stream,  not  over 
fifty  yards  in  width,  but  very  deep.  After  going  down  it  for 
several  miles,  no  place  could  be  found  that  was  fordable,  and  at 
length  we  made  up  our  minds  to  swim  across,  rather  than  spenc1 
more  time  in  searching  for  a  ford.  This  was  easy  enough,  as  we 
were  all  swimmers,  and  in  a  few  minutes  most  of  the  party  were 
safely  landed  on  the  other  side. 

But  it  remained  to  get  our  provisions  and  other  matters  over, 
and  for  this  purpose  a  small  raft  had  been  constructed,  upon 
which  the  packs  of  meat,  robes,  as  well  as  our  arms  and  ammuni 
tion,  were  laid.  A  cord  was  attached  to  the  raft,  and  one  of 


THE    ROUTE    HOME. 


359 


the  party  swam  over  with  the  cord,  and  then  several  taking 
hold,  commenced  dragging  over  the  raft  with  its  load. 

Although  the  stream  was  narrow,  the  current  was  strong  and 
rapid,  and  just  as  the  raft  had  got  near  the  middle,  the  towing 
line  snapped,  and  away  went  the  whole  baggage  down  stream. 

We  all  followed  along  the  banks  in  hopes  of  securing  the  raft 
when  it  should  float  near,  and  at  first  we  had  little  apprehension 
about  the  matter.  But,  to  our  mortification,  we  now  perceived 
a  rapid  just  below,  and  there  would  be  no  chance  of  preventing 
the  frail  structure  from  going  over  it.  The  packs,  robes,  and 
guns  had  been  laid  upon  the  raft,  not  even  fastened  to  it,  for  in 
our  careless  security,  we  never  anticipated  such  a  result.  W> 

It  was  too  late  to  leap  into  the  stream  and  endeavor  to  stop 
the  raft.  No  one  thought  of  such  a  thing.  All  saw  that  it 
was  impossible  ;  and  we  stood  with  anxious  hearts  watching  the 
floating  mass,  as  it  swept  down  and  danced  over  the  foaming 
waters.  Then  a  shock  was  heard — the  raft  heeled  round — still, 
poised  upon  a  sharp  rock,  stood  for  a  moment  in  mid-stream, 
find  then,  once  more  washed  free,  it  glided  on  into  the  still  water 
below. 

We  rushed  down  the  banks,  after  an  effort  secured  the  raft, 
and  drew  it  ashore  ;  but,  to  our  consternation,  most  of  the  pro 
visions,  with  the  guns  and  ammunition,  were  gone  I 

They  had  been  tossed  off  in  the  very  middle  of  the  rapids, 
and  of  course,  were  lost  for  ever.  Only  three  packs  of  the 
meat,  with  a  number  of  robes,  remained  upon  the  raft. 

We  were  now  in  a  more  serious  condition  than  ever.  The 
provision  saved  from  the  wreck  would  not  last  us  a  week,  and 


360  TBB    HLfllfcRS'    FEAST. 


when  that  was  consumed,  how  were  we  to  procure  more  ?  Our 
fataus  of  killing  game  was  taken  from  us.  We  had  no  arms  but 
pistols  and  knives.  What  chance  of  killing  a  deer  or  any  other 
creature,  with  these  ? 

The  prospect  was  gloomy  enough.  Some  even  advised  that 
we  should  go  back  to  where  we  had  left  the  buffalo  carcasses. 
But  by  this  time  the  wolves  had  cleaned  them  of  their  flesh. 
It  would  have  been  madness  to  go  back.  There  was  no  other 
course  but  to  head  once  more  towards  the  settlements,  and 
travel  as  fast  as  we  could. 

On  half  rations  we  continued  on,  making  our  daily  journeys 
as  long  as  possible.  It  was  fortunate  we  had  saved  some  of  the 
robes,  for  it  was  now  winter,  and  the  cold  had  set  in  with 
extreme  bitterness.  Some  nights  we  were  obliged  to  encamp 
without  wood  to  make  a  fire  with,  but  we  were  in  hopes  of  soon 
reaching  the  forest  region,  where  we  should  not  want  for  that, 
and  where,  moreover,  we  would  be  more  likely  to  meet  with 
some  game  that  we  could  capture. 

On  the  third  day  after  leaving  the  stream  that  had  been  so 
fatal  to  us,  it  began  snowing,  and  continued  to  snow  all  night. 
Next  morning  the  whole  country  was  covered  with  a  white  man 
tle,  and  we  journeyed  on,  at  each  step  sinking  in  the  snow.  This 
rendered  our  travelling  very  difficult,  but  as  the  snow  was  only 
a  foot  or  so  in  depth  we  were  able  to  make  way  through  it.  We 
saw  many  tracks  ofdeer,  but  heeded  them  not,  as  we  knew  there 
was  no  chance  of  capturing  the  animals.  Our  guides  said  if  it 
would  only  thaw  a  little,  and  then  freeze  again,  they  could  kill 
the  deer  without  their  rifles.  It  did  thaw  a  little  during  the  day, 


THE    ROUTE    HOME.  361 

and  at  night  froze  so  hard,  that  in  the  morning  there  was  a  thick 
crust  of  ice  upon  the  surface  of  the  snow. 

This  gave  us  some  hope,  and  next  morning  a  deer  hunt  was 
proposed.  We  scattered  in  different  directions  in  parties  of  two 
and  three,  and  commenced  tracking  the  deer. 

On  re-assembling  at  our  night-camp,  our  different  parties  came 
back  wearied  and  empty-handed. 

The  guides,  Ike  and  Redwood,  had  gone  by  themselves,  and 
were  the  last  to  reach  the  rendezvous.  We  watched  anxiously 
for  their  return.  They  came  at  length,  and  to  our  joy  each  of 
them  carried  the  half  of  a  deer  upon  his  shoulders.  They 
had  discovered  the  animal  by  his  trail  in  the  snow,  and  pursued 
it  for  miles,  until  its  ankles  and  hoofs  became  so  lacerated  by  the 
crust  that  it  allowed  them  to  approach  near  enough  for  the 
range  of  their  pistols.  Fortunately  it  proved  to  be  a  good- 
sized  buck,  and  would  add  a  couple  of  days  to  our  stock  of 
provisions. 

With  fresh  venison  to  our  breakfast,  we  started  forth  next 
morning  in  better  spirits.  This  day  we  intended  to  make  a  long 
journey  in  hopes  of  getting  into  heavy  timber,  where  we  might 
find  deer  more  plentiful,  and  might  capture  some  before  the 
snow  thawed  away.  But  before  the  end  of  the  day's  journey 
we  were  so  stocked  with  provision,  that  we  no  longer  cared 
about  deer  or  any  other  game.  Our  commissariat  was  once 
more  replenished  by  the  buffalo,  and  in  a  most  unexpected  man 
ner.  We  were  tramping  along  upon  the  frozen  snow,  when  upou 
ascending  the  crest  of  a  ridge,  we  saw  five  huge  forms  directly 
in  front  of  us.  We  had  no  expectation  of  meeting  with  buffalo 

16 


362  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

so  far  to  the  eastward,  and  were  somewhat  in  doubt  as  to 
whether  they  were  buffaloes.  Their  bodies  against  the  white 
hill-side,  appeared- of  immense  size,  and  as  they  were  covered  all 
over  with  hoar  frost,  and  icicles  depending  from  their  long 
shaggy  tufts  of  hair,  they  presented  a  singular  aspect,  that  for 
awhile  puzzled  us.  We  took  them  for  pine-trees ! 

We  soon  saw,  however,  that  they  were  in  motion,  moving 
along  the  hill,  and  they  could  be  no  other  than  buffaloes,  as  no 
other  animals  could  have  presented  such  an  appearance.  Of 
course  they  were  at  a  long  distance,  and  this  prevented  us  from 
at  once  recognizing  them. 

This  was  an  important  discovery,  and  brought  our  party  to  a 
halt  and  consultation.  What  course  was  to  be  adopted  ?  How 
were  we  to  capture  one  or  all  of  them  ?  Had  the  snow  been  of 
sufficient  depth  the  thing  would  have  been  easy ;  but  although 
as  it  was,  it  might  impede  their  running,  they  could  get  through 
it  much  faster  than  we.  The  only  chance  was  to  "  approach  " 
them  by  stealth ;  but  then  we  must  creep  within  pistol  range 
and  that  upon  the  plain  white  surface  would  be  absolutely 
impossible.  The  foot  of  the  hunter  crunching  through  the  fro 
zen  snow,  would  warn  them  of  their  danger  long  before  he  could 
get  near.  In  fact  when  every  circumstance  had  been  weighed 
and  discussed,  we  every  one  despaired  of  success.  At  that 
moment  what  would  we  have  given  for  a  horse  and  a  gun. 

As  we  talked  without  coming  to  any  determination,  the  five 
huge  forms  disappeared  over  the  sharp  ridge,  that  ran  trans 
versely  to  our  course.  As  this  ridge  would  shelter  us  from  view 
we  hurried  forward  in  order  to  see  what  advantages  there  were 


THE    ROUTE    HOME.  863 

in  the  ground  on  its  other  side.  We  were  in  hopes  of  seeing 
timber  that  might  enable  us  to  get  closer  to  the  game,  and  we 
made  for  a  small  clump  that  grew  on  the  top  of  the  ridge.  We 
reached  it  at  length,  and  to  our  great  chagrin,  saw  the  five  great 
brutes  galloping  off  on  the  other  side. 

Our  hearts  fell,  and  we  were  turning  to  each  other  with  dis 
appointed  looks,  when  a  tumultuous  shout  of  triumph  broke  from 
Redwood  and  the  wolf-killer,  and  both  calling  out  to  us  to 
follow  them,  dashed  off  in  the  direction  of  the  buffalo ! 

W"e  looked  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  this  strange  conduct.  A 
singular  sight  met  our  eyes.  The  buffalo  were  sprawling  and 
kicking  on  the  plain  below ;  now  rushing  forward  a  short 
distance,  then  spreading  their  limbs  and  halting,  while  some  of 
them  came  heavily  down  upon  their  sides,  and  lay  flinging  their 
legs  about  them,  as  if  they  had  been  wounded ! 

All  these  manoeuvres  would  have  been  mysterious  enough, 
but  the  guides  rushing  forward,  had  already  given  the  key  to 
them,  by  exclaiming  that  the  buffalo  were  upon  the  ice  ! 

It  was  true.  The  snow-covered  plain  was  a  frozen  lake,  and 
the  animals  in  their  haste,  had  galloped  upon  the  ice,  where  they 
were  now  floundering. 

It  cost  us  but  a  few  minutes'  time  to  come  up  with  them,  and 
in  a  few  minutes  more — a  few  minutes  of  fierce,  deadly  strife — 
in  which  pistols  cracked  and  knife-blades  gleamed,  five  great 
carcasses  lay  motionless  upon  the  blood-stained  snow. 

This  lucky  capture,  for  we  could  only  attribute  it  to  good 
fortune,  was  perhaps  the  means  of  saving  the  lives  of  our  party. 
The  meat  furnished  by  the  five  bulls — for  bulls  they  were — 


364  THE  HUNTERS'  FEAST. 

formed  an  ample  stock,  which  enabled  us  to  reach  the  settlement 
in  safety.  It  is  true,  we  had  many  a  hard  trial  to  undergo,  and 
many  a  weary  hour's  walking,  before  we  slept  under  a  roof,  but 
although  in  wretched  plight,  as  far  as  looks  went,  we  all  got 
back  in  excellent  health. 

At  Independence  we  were  enabled  to  "  rig  "  ourselves  out,  so 
as  to  make  an  appearance  at  St.  Louis — where  we  arrived  a 
few  days  after — and  where,  seated  around  the  well-filled  table 
of  the  Planters'  Hotel,  we  soon  forgot  the  hardships,  and 
remembered  only  the  pleasures,  of  our  wild  hunter-life. 


A  VALUABLE    HOUSEHOLD   BOOK. 
&  O  IE  3XT  IE  & 

IN 

THE    PRACTICE! 


OP 

A  NEW  TORI  SURGEON. 

BY    EDWAJRD    H.    DIXON,    M.D., 

EDITOR    OF    THE    "SCALPEL." 

Embellished  with  Eight  Exquisite  Engravings,  from  original  Designs,  by  BARLEY, 
Engraved  by  N.  ORR.    Elegantly  bound  in  cloth,  gilt.    Price,  $1  25. 

This  highly  interesting  work  is  the  embodiment  of  much  that  is  valuable  in  science  and 
striking  in  incident.  The  facts  and  narratives  here  grouped  together  have  been  gleaned 
daring  a  practice  both  varied  and  lengthy,  and  from  sources  the  most  diverse  both  in 
means  and  matter.  The  canopied  couch  and  the  lowly  pallet— pampered  luxury  and 
starved  mendicity — have  each  contributed  to  illustrate  some  of  those  phases,  the  peculi 
arity  of  which  has  led  many  a  reflecting  mind  to  exclaim —  "  Verily,  life  is  a  mystery,  and 
death  the  solution  thereof  I" 

"  Let  us  hope  that,  whatever  truths  useful  to  humanity  may  be  found  within  these 
pages,  will  live  for  a  little  while  after  the  hand  that  sketched  them  is  resolved  into  its 
elements,  and  mingled  with  the  atmosphere  and  the  earth  whence  it  originated." 

The  following  is  but  a  small  portion  of  the  Contents  : 

Importance  of  Truth  in 
Education.— The    Right    of 


Scenes  in  City  Practice.— 
The  Cholera  of  '32— The 
Broadway  Workwomen — The 
Young  Mother  —  The  Last 
Day's  Work — Terry's  Court 
ship. 

The  Nerve  Power.-What 
is  the  Nature  of  the  Nerve 
Power? — Its  action  on  our 
Bodies,  under  the  various 
Stimuli — Its  Power  over  the 
Contraction  of  the  Muscles — 
The  Influence  of  Prolonged 
Inspiration  in  Curing  Dis 
eases  and  in  giving  strength 
to  the  Body — How  does  it 
compare  with  other  Systems 
of  Cure? 

On  Hooping  Couqh. — 
What  is  Hooping  Cough? 
—Period  of  Occurrence — 
/irst  Symptoms — Subtle  Cha 
racter  of  the  Contagion  — 
Period  of  Duration.  —  Its 
usual  Attendants — Manner 
of  Treatment — Has  Medicine 
any  power  over  it? 


Discovery— Fairy  Stories- 
Children  should  behold  Truth 
in  their  Parents. 

Scenes  in  a  Western  Phy- 
Kician's  Life.— What  is  Me 
mory '—College  Life  in  th< 
Country — The  Pious  Studen* 


Will  Medicine  Cure  Con 
sumption  f — Origin  of  Con 
sumption — The  Stethescope — 
Formation  of  Tubercles — 
Cough  an  Early  Symptom — 
Bronchitis. 

Scenes  in  Southern  Prac 
tice.— King  Death  in  his  Yel- 
ow   Robe — The  Proud   Mer 
chant—The    Lovely    Creole —The  Orphan  Betrayed— The 
Wife.  I  Robin's  Nest— Maternal  Re- 

On  Croup.  —  What  is  flections— What  is  Love?— 
Croup? — Its  Symptoms  and  The  Funeral  Pile  :  what  is  its 
Treatment.  Philosophy  ? 

Scarlet  Fever.— What  are      Functions  of  the  Skin.— 
the   Causes  of   its   Dreadful  Cold  Fatal  to  Infants. 
Fatality  ?— Has  Medicine  any      Scenes  in  City  Practice.— 
control  over  it  ?  1.  Death's  Quartette  in  a  Gar- 

Recollections  of  City  ret  — Delirium  Tremens  — 2. 
Practice.  —  Privation  —  Our  Precariousness  of  Medical 
Two  Lodgers  — A  Faithful  Life  in  New  York— A  Profea- 


Sister— First  Affection  —  An 
Unworthy  ObjecUcThe  Art 
less  Victim — The  Young 
Mother— The  Wedding— Ma 
ternal  Love— The  Legacy — 
The  Closing  Scene. 


sional  Martyr — The  Curse  of 
an  Irish  Practice— Death  of 
the  Physician,  his  Widow 
and  Child — Parental  Love — 
Mercantile  Affection  —  The 
Love  of  Money. 


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FATHER  GAVAZZl'S  LECTURES 

IN  NEW  YORK. 

ALSO, 

THE   LIFE   OF  FATHER    GAVAZZI, 

CORRECTED     AND     AUTHORIZED     BT     HIMSBLV. 

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Himself  a  Priest,  he  Is  cognizant  of  the  vices  and  abuses  that  exist  in  the  Romish 
Church,  and  does  not  fear  to  expose  them  at  the  hazard  of  his  life.  The  clergy  and  th« 
press  speak  of  his  Lectures  in  enthusiastic  terms. 


BEATRICE; 
OB,    THE   UNKNOWN   RELATIVES. 

BY  MISS  SINCLAIR. 
Price,  in  paper,  50  cts. ;  cloth,  75  cts. 

The  most  formidable  opponent  of  Romanism  that  the  Church  has  had  this  century. 
Over  40,000  copies  have  been  sold.  The  encomiums  of  the  press  would  fill  volumes. 

Extract  of  a  Letter  from  Rev.  N.  Murray  (the  celebrated  Kerwiri). 

ELIZABKTHTOWN,  Feb.  1st,  1853. 
MESSRS.  DB  WITT  &  DAVENPORT: 

In  "  BEATRICE"  she  taxes  all  her  energies,  and  the  result  is  a  work  of  deep  interest 
and  great  power.  Iis  object  is  to  expose  the  deceptive  arts  of  Popery  and  of  the  Jesuits, 
and  this  it  does  with  great  truthfulness  and  effect.  It  can  not  be  otherwise  than  greatly 
useful  in  aiding  to  remove  from  the  world  the  great  curse  of  humanity — Popery. 

N.  MURRAY. 


HELEN  MULGRAVE  ; 

OE,    JESUIT    EXECUTOESHIP. 

AN  AUTOBIOGRAPHY  OP  A  YOUNG  LADY,  A  SECEDER  FROM  ROMANISM. 
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HELEN  MULQRAVE;  OR,  JESUIT  EXECUTORSHIP,  is  the  title  of  a  narrative  by  a  converted 
Catholic,  showing  one  phase  of  the  well-known  intrigue  and  rascality  which  Jesuit  priests 
are  wont  to  practice,  in  the  case  of  wills  and  estates  of  the  dead.  It  is  a  tale  to  harrow 
up  every  generous  and  honorable  feeling — and  is  all  the  more  harrowing  as  the  reader's 
knowledge  of  history  will  forbid  his  regarding  it  as  at  all  exaggerated  or  fictitious.— New 
York  Evangelist. 

The  writer  here  records  her  own  experience.  It  is  a  lively  description  of  suffering  and 
perseverance,  and  a  lifelike  development  of  the  art,  cruelty  and  blindness  of  Reman- 
bm.—Cfene&ee  Evangelist. 


K  AT  E    W  E  S  T  0  N  ; 

OR, 

TO  WILL  AND  TO  DO. 

BY  JENNIE  DE  WITT, 

Beautifully  Illustrated  with  Engravings  by  N.  ORR. 
One  volume  of  456  pages,  Handsomely  bound  in  Cloth.    Price  $1  25. 


From  the  mass  of  literature  that  is  presented  to  the  public,  a  careful  discrimination  if 
called  for  to  distinguish  between  the  false  and  the  true,  the  moral  and  the  immoral. 

"When  we  find  talent  and  genius,  with  great  power  of  invention  and  vivid  description, 
combined  with  a  decided  moral  tendency,  comprising  the  elements  of  a  work,  it  must  be 
•onceded  that  it  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  contributions  to  the  literature  of  the  age." 

One  of  the  most  eminent  literary  men  of  the  country,  who  has  perused  an  advance 
copy,  accords  the  above  high  meed  of  praise  to  KATE  WESTON,  and  predicts  an  extensive 
circulation.  No  work  that  has  issued  from  the  press  for  years,  contains  characteristics 
more  naturally  and  captivatingly  drawn.  There  is  not  a  passage  in  the  entire  456  pages, 
that  has  been  written  merely  to  fill  out  the  book,  but  every  line  bears  an  interest  to  the 
completion  of  a  most  masterly  plot.  The  reader  will  close  the  book  with  a  lasting  im 
pression,  and  a  high  resolve  To  WILL  AND  To  Do. 


CONTENTS 


An  Unwelcome  Visitor. 

Guardians. 

Early  Dreamings. 

The  Fishing  Party. 

Millionaire  and  Beggar. 

The  Fledgling. 

Music  and  Mirth. 

Father  Benson. 

Aunt  Biddy's  Visit. 

A  Good  Time. 

Pledges. 

Peculiar  Discipline. 

The  First  Error. 

The  Face  of  a  Man. 

Who  Ought  to  be  Hanged. 

Looking  Through  One's  own  Glasses. 

A  Leaf  of  Life. 

Out  of  the  Snare. 

Successful  Debut. 


Poor  Clarence ! 

Too  Late. 

Haste  to  the  Wedding. 

The  Ramble. 

A  New  Phase  of  Temptation. 

And  yet  Another. 

A  Day's  Work. 

Wages  at  Evening. 

Time  Flies. 

The  Election. 

The  Hour  of  Triumph. 

Grave  of  Ambition. 

Killing  the  Fatted  Calf. 

Fruits  of  Discipline. 

Morning  Breaking. 

Discoveries,  A  Departure. 

Retribution. 

The  Outcasts'  Burial. 

Melody. 


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3Jte*  MmW  5 


As  novels  of  quiet  humor,  genuine  pathos,  and  richness  and  vividness  of  description^ 
Mrs.  Moodie's  Works  have  acquired  a  reputation  which  will  endear  them  to  every  lover 
of  the  beautiiul  and  truthful  in  nature. 

By  special  arrangement  with  Mrs.  Moodie  we  are  now  the  sole  publishers  of  her 
works  in  America.  Her  Life-History  is  contained  in  the  following  worka. 


FLORA  LYNDSAY; 

OE,    PASSAGES   IN   AN   EVENTFUL    LIFE. 

Price,  in  paper,  50  cts.;  elegantly  bound  in  cloth,  75  eta. 

Those  who  laughed  and  cried  while  in  imagination  they  were  "  Roughing  it  in  the 
Bush  "  with  Mrs.  Moodie  will  take  up  with  eagerness  this  fiction,  which  is  in  fact,  under 
an  assumed  name,  an  autobiography  of  her  own  eventful  life  prior  to  her  seeking  a  new 
home  in  America,  and  also  a  vivid  and  thrilling  description  of  events  that  transpired  in 
a  long  and  perilous  voyage  over  the  Atlantic. — Philadelphia  Saturday  Evening  Post. 

All  who  have  read  "  Houghing  it  in  the  Bush  "  will  be  sure  to  look  with  eager  curiosity 
into  the  pages  of  "  Flora  Lindsey  "  and  be  repaid  by  the  perusal  of  a  delightful  story. — 
Boston  Atlas. 

This  new  work  of  Mrs.  Moodie's  is  truly  a  delightful  one.— Boston  Matt. 


ROUGHING    IT  IN    THE    BUSH. 

Elegantly  bound  in  cloth,  price  $1  00. 

Mrs.  Moodie's  descriptions  of  frontier  life  have  never  been  surpassed. — Boston  Times. 

Mrs.  Moodie  stands  in  the  front  rank  of  able  female  writers,  and  we  cordially  recom 
mend  "  Roughing  it  in  the  Bush  "  to  our  readers. — Alton  Courier. 

It  is  written  in  a  beautiful,  simple  style,  truthful  and  lifelike,  with  that  peculiar  fascinat 
ing  manner  and  dry,  quiet  humor  that  is  so  peculiarly  her  own. — Phila.  Christian 
Observer. 


LIFE  IN  THE    CLEARINGS  vs.    THE    BUSH. 

Price,  in  paper,  50  cts. ;  elegantly  bound  in  cloth,  75  cts. 

"Tbave  been  repeatedly  asked,  since  the  publication  of  "Roughing  it  in  the  Bush," 
to  give  an  account  of  the  present  state  of  society,  and  to  point  out  its  increasing  pros 
perity  and  commercial  advantages;  but  statistics  are  not  my  forte,  nor  do  I  feel  myself 
qualified  for  Much  an  arduous  and  important  task.  My  knowledge  is  too  limited  to  enable 
me  to  write  a  comprehensive  work  on  a  subject  of  vital  consequence,  which  might  involve 
the  happiness  of  others.  But  what  I  do  know  I  will  endeavour  to  sketch  with  a  light 
pencil ;  and  if  I  cannot  convey  much  useful  information,  I  will  try  to  amuse  the  reader; 
and  by  a  mixture  of  prose  and  poetry  compile  a  small  volume,  which  may  help  to  "while 
away  an  idle  hour,  or  fill  up  the  blanks  of  a  wet  day."— Authors  Preface.  [Nearly  Ready]. 


MARK    HURDLESTONE; 
OE,  THE  TWO  BEOTHEES. 

Price,  in  paper,  50  cts.  ;  elegantly  bound  in,  cloth,  75  cts. 

We  advise  all  who  get  this  book  not  to  take  it  up  late  in  the  evening,  for  they  will  be 
•ure  to  spend  the  night  in  reading  it.  It  is  impossible  to  leave  off,  so  hurrying  and  in 
tense  is  the  interest.— Lynn  (Mass.)  News. 

The  work  before  us  is  one  of  the  most  powerful  ever  published  bv  a  woman,  full  of 
deep  meaning,  of  stern  truths,  a.id  pure  morality. — Portsmouth  (N.  H.)  Journal. 


A  NEW  WORK, 

BY  THE  AUTHOR  OP  "  ROUGHING  IT  IN  THE  BUSH." 


OR, 

THE    FAITHLESS    GUARDIAN. 
BY   MRS.   HOODIE. 

AUTHOR  OF   "  ROUGHING  IT  IN  THE  BUSH," 
.RINGS  VS.  THE  BUSH,"  MAR: 

One  handsome  volume.    Price,  in  cloth,  $1. 


The  talented  author  of  "  Roughing  it  in  the  Bush,"  has  thrown  all  her  power  into  this 
work,  which  is  by  far  the  best  of  the  many  excellent  ones  that  have  issued  from  her  pen  ; 
and  we  think  will  make  a  sensation  both  here  and  in  England,  as  the  most  brilliant  novel 
of  the  day.  By  special  arrangement  with  Mrs.  Moodie,  and  by  a  liberal  outlay,  this  work 
is  printed  first  in  this  country,  and  the  proof-sheets  sent  to  Bentley  and  published 
in  England  simultaneously  with  the  issue  here. 

The  characters  in  this  work  are  drawn  with  a  most  masterly  hand,  evincing  a  thorough 
knowledge  of  the  main-springs  of  human  action,  and  a  deep  insight  into  the  controlling 
passions  which  prompt  us  to  good  or  to  evil.  The  designing  and  wicked  lawyer,  who 
proved  so  false  to  his  trust,  and  who,  like  the  loathsome  spider,  wove  his  web  with  such 
subtle  skill  around  the  innocent  objects  committed  to  his  charge,  finds  himself  foiled  at 
last,  and  reaps  a  terrible  harvest  of  blood  at  the  hands  of  his  own  wicked  and  unfilial 
offspring.  So  true  is  it  that 

"  He  who  sows  the  storm 
Will  reap  the  whirlwind." 

The  gentle  innocence  of  the  unsuspecting  ward,  who  so  haplessly  falls  into  the  snare 
prepared  for  her,  is  most  beautifully  pourtrayed,  while  the  contemplation  of  such  a  fiend 
in  human  shape  as  Dinah  North,  makes  us  turu  to  the  good  Sir  Alexander  and  his  noble 
daughter  with  a  keener  appreciation  of  the  honest  and  the  good. 

CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER 

I.  My  grandfather  and  his  Sons. 

II.  My  Mother's  Funeral. 

III.  My  Aunt  Rebecca. 

IV.  The  Tutor. 

V.  A  Change  in  my  Prospects. 

VI.  The  Sorrows  of  Dependence. 

VII.  George  Harrison.  * 

VIII.  Ungratifled  Curiosity. 

IX.  A  Portrait. 

X.  Dreams. 

XT.  My  First  Love. 

XII.  I  Forfeit  my  Independence. 

XIII.  A  Visit  from  the  Great  Man  of 

the  Family. 

XIV.  Love  and  Hatred. 

XV.  George  Harrison  tells  his  History 
XVI.  George  Harrison  continues  his 
History. 


CHAPTER 

XVIII.  The  Meeting. 

XIX.  Light  Come-Light  Go. 

XX.  Alice. 

XX [.  My  Visit  to  Moncton  Park. 

XXII.  A  Sad  Event. 

XXIII.  A  Discovery. 

XXIV.  My  Second  Interview  with  Dinah 

North. 

XXV.  An    Explanation— Departure  — 

Disappointment. 

XXVI.  Elm  Grove. 

XXVII.  My  Nurse  and  Who  She  Was. 
XXVIII.    My  Letters. 

XXIX.    AVVelcome  and  Unwelcome  Meet- 

ing. 

XXX.  Dinah's  Confession. 
XXXI.  Retributive  Justice. 
XXXII.  The  Double  Bridal. 


XVII.    He  finds  a  Friend  in  Need. 

DE  WITT  &  DAVENPORT,  Publishers, 

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GllEAT  NATIONAL  WORK. 
OFF-HAND  TAKINGS;   OE,    CKAYO^   SKETCHES 

OP  THE  NOTICEABLE  MEN  0*  OUR  AGE. 

BY  GEORGE  W.  BDNGAY. 

EmbeUithed  with  Nineteen  Portraits  on  Steel.  Elegantly  bound  in  ckth.  Price  $1  50. 

This  is  a  work  that  should  be  in  the  hands  of  every  American  who  is  proud  of  his 
country,  and  of  the  men  who  have  helped  to  render  that  country  honored  abroad  by 
their  contributions  in  Literature,  Science,  Commerce  or  Arts.  Though  some  of  the  per 
sons  in  the  following  list  are  handled  pretty  roughly,  still,  we  think  most  persons  will  allow 
that  the  hard  treatment  they  get  is  deserved. 

The  Book  is  well  printed  on  beautiful  paper,  embellished  with  Nineteen  Portraits,  en 
graved  on  Steel,  in  the  finest  style  of  the  art. 


CONTENTS. 

Daniel  Webster.                         Solon  Robinson  (portrait.) 

Gerrit  Smith  (portrait). 

Henry  Clay. 

John  Ross  Dix. 

Edward  Beecher. 

Edwin  H.  Chapin  (portrait). 
John  Charles  Fremont. 

P.  T.  Barnum  (portrait). 
Dr.  E.  Kane. 

Thos.  H.  Benton  (portrait). 
Wm.  L.  Marcy. 

G.  P.  Morris  and  N.  P.  Willis. 

Nathaniel  Hawthorne. 

Alfred  Bunu. 

Wm.  H.  Seward  (portrait). 

Samuel  F.  B.  Morse. 

Peter  Cartwright. 

Edw.  Everett  (portrait). 

Geo.  W.  Kendall. 

Anson  Burlingame. 

John  P.  Hale  (portrait). 
Father  Taylor. 

Saml.  Houston  (portrait). 
Pierre  Soule. 

George  Law  (portrait). 
Dr.  J.  W.  Francis. 

John  C.  Calhoun. 

W.  Thackeray. 

Dr.  S.  H.  Cox. 

Lewis  Cass. 

John  Pierpont. 

Freeman  Hunt. 

Charles  C.  Burleigh. 

Horace  Greeley  (portrait). 

B.  P.  Shillaber. 

H.  Ward  Beecher  (portrait). 

George  N.  Briggs. 

Bishop  James. 

Abbot  Lawrence. 

Theodore  Parker. 

Rev.  Mr.  Wadsworth. 

Ralph  Walde  Emerson. 
J.  Van  Burren  (portrait). 

Neal  Dow  (portrait). 
Philip  S.  White. 

Rev.  Dr.  Durbin. 
S.  A.  Douglas  (portrait). 

John  Greenleaf  Whittier. 

Charles  Surnner. 

W.  Gilmore  Simms. 

Washington  Irving. 

Ogden  Hofifman  (portrait). 

James  Gordon  Bennett. 

G.  W.  Bethune 

Thomas  Francis  Meagher. 

Caleb  Gushing. 

E.  P.  Whipple. 

Wendell  Philips. 

James  Watson  Webb. 

G.  C.  Hebbe  (portrait) 

Elihu  Burritt. 

Dr.  Duffield. 

Rufus  Choate. 

Wm.  C.  Byrant  (portrait). 

J.  R.  Lowell. 

Horace  Mann. 
Dr.  Boardman. 

Daniel  S.  Dickinson. 
General  Winfield  Scott. 

John  Mitchel  (portrait). 

And  others. 

OPINIONS  OF  THE  PRESS. 

The  following  very  brief  extracts  from  extended  notices  of  the  book  by  leading 
papers,  will  give  the  public  some  idea  of  the  estimation  placed  upon  it. 

From  The  Commonwealth,  Boston. 

"  The  book  will  sell— it  will  be  read— it  will  have  a  wide  popularity.  It  is  written  in  the 
right  way  for  it,  and  if  the  author  don't  get  his  10,000  from  it  we  very  much  mistake 
figures.  He  writes  like  a  man  who  is  fully  wide  awake  ;  his  portraits  sparkle  with  vitality. 
The  engravings  are  superb,  and  the  letter  press  excellent;  the  binding  gala-ish.  Get  the 
book  if  you  want  one  that  will  take  your  arm  and  be  an  agreeable  companion." 

From  The  Christian,  Freeman,  Boston. 

"  He  never  allows  anything  like  dulness  to  flow  from  his  pen.  His  descriptions  are 
graphic  and  to  the  life.  Every  sketch  might  be  termed  a  master  portrait.  He  writea 
with  an  independent,  fearless  pen,  without  fear  or  favor." 

From  The  Boston  Traveller. 

"  Written  in  a  spirited  and  off-hand  style,  presenting  well-drawn  and  characteristic 
portraits." 

From  The  Newport  News,  R.  I. 

"The  portraits  are  dashed  off  with  a  free  and  easy  pencil,  and  are  uncommonly 
natural  and  life-like." 

From  TiedHyis,  Worcester,  Mass. 

Eveiy  one  who  desires  a  knowledge  of  eminent  living  men,  should  have  this  volume." 
We  could  fill  a  volume  with  the  encomiums  already  received  (although  all  parts  of  the 
country  have  not  been  heard  from),  but  we  think  we  do  not  err  in  saying  that  a  more  at 
tractive  book,  both  in  interior  and  exterior,  has  nevtr  been  offered  to  the  public. 

DEWITT  &  DAVENPORT,   Publishers, 
Nos.  1M)  and  .162  Nassau  St 


A  BOOK  THE  JESUITS  CAN  NOT  SUPPRESS  I 

THE  ESCAPED. NTJN;- 

OR, 

DISCLOSURES    OF    CONVENT    LIFE. 

Giving  a  more.  Minute,  Description  and  a  Bolder  Revelation  of  the  Mysteries  and 
Secrets  of  Nunneries,  than  have  ever  before  been  submitted  to  the  American  public. 
Elegantly  bound  in  cloth,  12?no.  Price,  $1. 

The  public  are  aware  that  we  have  lately  been  involved  in  a  course  of  litigation 
respecting  a  Book  on  Convent  Life,  and  the  result  is  also  known.  There  is  a  great  diver 
sity  of  opinion  respecting  the  injunction  and  its  attending  circumstances ;  but  there  is 
but  one  opinion  as  regards  the  merits  of  the  book  we  have  now  the  pleasure  of  presenting, 
and  which  contains  a  fuller  and  more  detailed  account  of  the  inner  life  of  Convents  or 
Nunneries,  than  we  could  have  presented  in  any  other  form.  In  order  to  render  this 
volume  as  full  an  exposition  as  possible  of  the  abuses  of  which  it  treats,  and  to  give  pub 
licity  to  facts  which  admit  of  almost  immediate  verification,  in  addition  to  the  principal 
narrative,  the  CONFESSIONS  OF  A  "  SISTER  OF  CHARITY,"  written  by  herself,  are  also 
embodied,  together  with  THE  EXPERIENCE  OF  A  NUN,  the  details  of  whose  eventful  history 
are  deeply  interesting ;  so  that  in  this  invaluable  work,  we  have  a  most  diversified  and 
thorough  exposition  of  the  immoralities  and  impostures  as  practised  in  nunneries. 

Parents  and  Guardians  who  have  the  most  distant  idea  of  sending  their  children  or 
wards  to  these  prison-houses,  falsely  called  "  Institutions  of  Learning,"  should  not  fail  to 
read  the  palpable  evidences  of  their  criminality  in  entertaining  such  a  thought,  as  set 
forth  in  this  book — evidences  convincing  and  undeniable.  The  profound  sensation  which 
these  astounding  revelations  are  destined  to  create,  has  been  already  experienced  to 
Borne  extent  in  the  literary  world,  among  editors  who  have  been  furnished  with  proof 
Bheets  of  the  work.  They  say  that  "  It  bears  the  unmistakable  marks  of  truthfulness 
upon  its  face;  and  yet  the  mind  shrinks  with  terror  from  the  necessity  of  believing  that 
Buch  horrid  criminalities  are  practised  in  convents.  But  here  is  Truth  pointing  with  her 
unerring  finger  to  the  record  and  the  facts,  and  to  her  revelations  we  are  bound  to  yield 
implicit  belief." 

The  following  constitutes  but  a  small  portion  of  the  Contents : 


Perversion  to  Romanism. — The  Trap. 

The  Laws  of  Nature  vs.  the  Laws  of  Popery. 

The  New  Prison. — Mysterious  Influences. 

Suspicious  Intimacy. — Contemplated  Escape. 

Immoral  Practices  in  Convents. 

Reflections  on  the  Cruel  Bondage  of  Nun 
neries.— Inveigling  Girls  into  Convents. 

The  Mother  Superior. — The  Pretty  Nuns. 

Culpability  of  Parents  in  sending  Daughters 
to  Nunneries. — The  Forced  Ceremony. 

The  bitterness  of  Death  Anticipated. 

Forced  to  leave  the  Convent  at  Midnight. 

Imprisonment. — Release. — An  Outrage. 

Passion  of  the  Superior. — Priestly  Duplicity. 

The  Stolen  Portrait.— The  baffled  Bishop. 

The  Ordeal. — The  Victory. — Deception. 

Convents  above  the  Laws.— The  Jesuit  Spies. 


An  Accidental  Discovery.    The  Alarm. 
My  Flight.— The  Boat.— The  Escape. 
Murder  of  an  American  Nun  at  Sea. 
Excursions  from  the  Convent  dressed  as  a 

Sister  of  Charity,  as  a  Priest,  Ac. 
Strange  men  in  the  Convent. — Prisons  again 

Convent  of  the  Sacred . 

Midnight  Adventures  in  the  Convent. 

The  Hotel  Dieu.  or  Black  Nunnery. 

Character  of  Popish  Priests. 

Crimes  of  Priests  and  Tricks  of  Nans. 

Disguised  for  School-teachers. 

My  Cell.— A  Rude  and  Insolent  Priest. 

Gagged  and  Blindfolded. — The  Conference. 

Praying  to  all  but  God.— The  Gay  superior. 

A  Confessor  in  Love. — A  Wedding. 

The  Mystery  Explained. — God  and  Man. 


DE  WITT  &  DAVENPORT,  PUBLISHERS, 

180  &  162  NASSAU  STREET,  IT,  T 


DE  WITT  &  DAVENPORT, 

PUBLISHERS,    BOOKSELLERS, 

AND 

Wholesale  and  Retail 
DEALERS     IIST     BOOKS, 

CHEAP  PUBLICATIONS,   PERIODICALS, 

AMERICAN  AND   FOREIGN  NEWSPAPERS. 

16O     &    162    NASSAU     STREET,     NEW     YORK. 


D.  ft  D.  would  respectfully  call  the  attention  of  the  Trade  to  their  unequalled  facilities 
for  filling  and  forwarding  all  Orders  for  Books,  Magazines,  Cheap  Publications,  News 
papers,  &c. ,  at  the  publishers'  lowest  prices. 

Dealers  will  find  it  to  their  interest  to  have  their  orders  packed  at  our  Establishment,  as 
we  will  inclose  in  our  package  (without  extra  charge),  anything  else  they  may  have  to 
receive  from  New  York,  so  that  it  will  reach  them  without  extra  freight. 

D.  &  D.  do  not  say  that  they  will  supply  Books,  &c.,  in  advance  of  any  other  house,  but 
will  abide  by  the  universal  decision  of  their  customers,  that  the  promptness  with  which 
their  orders  are  always  despatched,  is  of  itself  a  sufficient  guarantee  that  they  cannot  be 


Just  Published. 
A  NEW  WORK  BY  REV.  EDWIN  H.  CHAPEL 

1  vol.,  12/wo.     Cloth.    Price  $1. 

HUMANITY    IN   THE  CITY. 

BEING  A  SERIES  OF  DISCOURSES  RECENTLY  DELIVERED  IN  NEW  YORK. 


I.— THE  LESSONS  OP  THE  STREET. 
II. — MAN  AND  MACHINERY. 
III. — STRIFK  FOR  PRECEDENCE. 
IV. — THE  SYMBOLS  OF  THE  REPUBLIC. 


V. — THE  SPRINGS  OF  SOCIAL  LIFE. 
VI. — THE  ALLIES  OF  THE  TEMPTER. 
VII.— THE  CHILDREN  OF  THE  POOR. 
VIII.— THE  HELP  OF  RELIGION. 


EXTRACT  FROM  THE  PREFACE. 

"  This  volume  aims  at  applying  the  highest  standard  of  Morality  and  Religion  to  the 
phases  of  every-day  life.  In  order,  however,  that  the  view  with  which  these  discourses 
aave  been  prepared  may  not  be  misconceived,  I  wish  merely  to  say,  that  I  am  far  from 
supposing  these  are  the  only  themes  to  be  preached,  or  that  they  constitute  the  highest  class 
of  practical  subjects,  and  shall  be  sorry  if,  in  any  way,  they  seem  to  imply  a  neglect  of 
that  interior  and  holy  life  which  is  the  spring  not  only  of  right  affections,  but  of  clear  per 
ception  and  sturdy  every-day  duty.  I  hope,  on  the  contrary,  that  the  v«ry  aspects  of 
this  busy  city  life — the  very  problems  which  start  out  of  it — will  tend  to  convince  men  of 
the  necessity  of  this  inward  and  regenerating  principle.  Nevertheless,  I  maintain  that 
these  topics  have  a  place  in  the  circle  of  the  preacher's  work,  and  he  need  entertain  no 
fear  of  desecrating  his  pulpit  by  secular  themes  who  seeks  to  consecrate  all  things  in  any 
way  involving  the  action  and  welfare  of  men,  by  the  spirit  and  the  aims  of  His  Religion 
who,  while  he  preached  the  Gospel,  fed  the  hungry  and  healed  the  sick,  and  touched  the 
issues  of  every  temporal  w-vnt.  I  may  have  fAUfed  in  the  method,  I  trust  I  hav»  not  in 
the  pnrpV»e." 


TKE  tfi.  ff 


